


The Other Side

by ashleyerwinner



Category: Doctor Who, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Crossover, F/M, Funny, M/M, Sad, Superwho, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-12
Updated: 2014-01-16
Packaged: 2017-12-26 10:03:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleyerwinner/pseuds/ashleyerwinner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a man in a blue box appears in Dean and Sam's motel room, the brothers never expected to go through a torturous series of events that nearly tear them apart forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Last of the Time Lords

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first crossover fic, and I hope you enjoy!

"Son of a _bitch_." Dean snarled, dousing his bloody arm with whiskey. Sam sighed from behind his laptop, typing furiously. This ghoul they were hunting was indestructible, foiling every single one of the hunters attacks, this time, throwing Dean against a rusty escape ladder, disappearing directly afterwards, and leaving Sam in a huff as Dean whined on the ground.

Dean would deny that happening, of course, because a Winchester didn't _whine_ , especially because of a fucking ghoul, or a small boo-boo.

Sam was unconvinced about the ghoul being a ghoul, which was as ridiculous as it sounded, because obviously this thing was dead, a blue-tinted corpse, with a shriek that convinced Sam that it couldn't be a ghoul, because it sounded like a banshee.

Dean groaned as he flung himself on the hard mattress, comfortable in a ridiculous way. He was practically asleep, when the brothers heard a noise.

_whreeee-whoooo._

_whREEEEEE-whooooo._

Both men grabbed their guns and stood side by side, horrified, watching something appear before them.

"Gabriel." Sam whispered, a grimace spread across his face.

"Zachariah?" Dean challenged, and the brothers stood in professional defensive stances, guns ready, confused, angry looks etched on their faces as a blue box appeared before them. The doors of the now fully formed blue box pushed open, revealing the profiles of two humans (or what seemed to be humans), and they were bickering.

"You are bloody useless," the woman with red hair said, a thick British accent. The man beside her, tall and thin, with gelled hair and thick-rimmed glasses, could only sigh in defeat as she continued to yell at him. While this woman continued to berate him, Dean and Sam exchanged a look of disbelief before Sam decidedly coughed, gaining their attention.

"Oh, my God." The woman said, a look of horror on her face, and she pushed the man in front of her to shield her. The man simply held his hands up, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean growled, unrelenting in his aim towards the two intruders.

" _What_ are you?" Sam countered. The two glanced between Sam and Dean before answering.

"Donna." The woman said her voice shrill. "Human." She added, nodding her head.

"We're gonna need you to prove that, sweetheart." Dean said, a grimace of a smile on his face. A look of horror and disgust flashed on her face, and the brothers focused now on the man.

"I'm the Doctor." He said, and Dean heard sam guffaw.

"Doctor _who_?" He heard his brother ask, and the man's answer was delayed.

"They just call me the Doctor." He said, and held his hands farther up. "I'm a-" Donna elbowed him in the ribs, shaking her head, and pointing to the guns. "-human." He finished.

Dean lowered his gun, putting the safety on. He pocketed the weapon, and heard Sam do the same, telling the pair of intruders to _stay where you are_. Dean watched the two whisper to each other while Sam rummaged through their stuff, pulling out a knife, a container of salt, and a bottle of holy water.

Donna looked horrified as Sam led the two over to Dean, but the Doctor was pokerfaced, and seemed to be smiling through his eyes.

"Are you a hunter?" Dean asked him, and the man shook his head.

"No, but you two are _brilliant_." His voice was excited, and judging by the crinkling around his eyes and his wide smile, the man was being genuine.

Sam wasn't as willing to accept that they were being truthful, and without a word, he flung holy water into the faces of the Doctor and his companion. The Doctor hardly flinched, but Donna sputtered, red in the face, and Sam clenched the knife in his fist tighter, but Donna wasn't sizzling, except maybe with anger. She gave them a few choice words concerning her hair, and how long it took her to get it right this morning, and Dean had to bite the inside of his cheek when he and the Doctor shared a similar look of _shut up, Donna._

Sam threw salt at them now, and Donna fumed with hatred while the Doctor stood unaffected.

"You are _so lucky_ you're cute, sasquatch." She hurled at him, her voice gravelly.

Sam ignored her, pulling the Doctor's arm towards him, and sliced a line into his flesh. The Doctor wore a pained expression, and Sam turned to Donna. Sam didn't have two fingers on her when she flew backwards, screaming her disapproval.

"You're not cutting into me, mate." She said, verging on hysterics. Dean could almost hear Sam grit his teeth.

"Then give me one reason not to kill you!" He screamed at her, and Donna didn't move from his glare.

"BECAUSE, I DON'T WANT TO DIE." She said, and the two battled bitchfaces that could stop the Apocalypse.

"Just press the blade against her skin, you don't have to cut her, Sam." Dean said, aggravated. The Doctor nodded.

"Stay still, Donna. They're not gonna harm you. They have no reason to." The Doctor had a soothing voice, Dean decided, and he smiled at Donna now, trying to make up for his previous impoliteness. Donna's bitchface never changed as she held her arm out, staring Sam down. He placed the blade sideways on her skin, and huffed out something along the lines of "they're clear", pocketing the knife. Donna let out an audible sigh of relief, and she motioned for the Doctor to return to the box.

"Why do they call you the Doctor?" Dean asked, and the Doctor shrugged.

"I haven't really thought about it, actually." He said, scrunching his brow. "I've just gone by that name practically as long as I've been alive." Dean sensed the vagueness in the sentence, and hesitated before asking.

"How long have you been alive?" The Doctor smiled at him, in a way that said 'you wouldn't believe me if I told you'.

"About 900 years." He said, and Donna let out a series of "what the bloody hell, what are you thinking, we should go, you bloody idiot, martian, spaceman-" Dean's head was spinning.

"Martian? Spaceman?" Sam's voice brought him back to clarity.

"CAS!" He called, shutting his eyes, a silent prayer inside of his head. He heard a flutter of wings, and turned. Donna was screaming, and the Doctor said, "oh, good, an angel! Hello _ooo_ "

"Hello, Dean." Cas was saying, very much confused about the goings on.

"What is he, Cas?" Dean asked, pointing to the man. Cas walked over to the Doctor, and placed a hand on his bleeding arm, a shining light healing the broken skin.

"Well, if I had known a bleeding angel with a face like yours was comin' down to heal everyone, I would 'ave let those two slice me as well!" Donna said, always angry. Cas stepped back.

"Is he dangerous?" Sam asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"A demon?"

"No," Cas said. "Much more rare. Extinct." He said, looking back at Dean. "A time lord." Dean's head snapped back to the Doctor, a small smile on the time lord's face.

"The last of the time lords, actually."


	2. Greetings, friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite characters get caught up on who's who.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advance if I don't get Doctor Who timey-wimey-time travel correct I'm doing my best and it makes sense to me, so I hope it makes sense to everyone else. I hope you enjoy! xoxox

“The last of the – the what, exactly?” Dean inquired, eyebrows raised to their maximum capacity. The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but Donna’s loud voice collided with Cas’, leaving the man more than amused as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the box.

“They’re an ancient extraterrestrial civilization of a humanoid species called Gallifreyans”, Cas was saying, as if he was reciting a definition from a dictionary.

“’E’s a space man, from _outer space_.” Donna’s voice trumped Cas in the end, her accent thick and loud over Cas’ low, soothing voice. “And this,” she pounded on the box, “is his spaceship.” The Doctor looked appalled.

“She doesn’t like that, Donna.” He chided, stroking the blue box comfortingly.

“The TARDIS,” Cas said, squinting his eyes. “It seems to be broken.”

“She’s not broken, she’s just… stuck.” The Doctor said defensively.

“He tra _vels_ through _space_ and **_time_.** ” Donna said, giddy. Dean looked to Sam, his face of confusion matching his brother’s.

“Well, what happened to the rest of the Time Lords, then?” Sammy asked, anger stirring inside of him. The Doctor’s eyes swam with sadness.

“The Time War.” Cas said. “He wiped out his own people. And the Daleks as well.” Cas’ voice was lower than his usual tone.

“Why haven’t you told us any of this, Cas?!” Dean felt his voice raising.

“It was not of import considering the Apocalypse, Dean.” Cas said, dryly.

“Excuse me?!” Donna’s voice invaded their eardrums. “The bleedin’ _apocalypse_?” She rambled incoherently at the Doctor now, and Dean’s angry face found Cas’ pleading one. His anger faded slowly as he looked at the pathetic look on the angel’s face. The angel sensed Dean’s forgiveness, and they turned back to watch Donna scream vicious obscenities at the Time Lord.

“Okay, hey-hey-hey.” Dean finally stoppe the madness. “Yes, we are in the midst of an apocalypse, and… we’re handling it.” He finished lamely. Donna wore a look of utter distaste on her face, while the Doctor’s face swelled with pride and awe.

“You are _magnificent._ ” The Doctor said, and for a second, Dean believed him.

“That’s why you said you were dangerous.” Sammy said, a minute after taking in all that Cas said. The Doctor nodded.

“Well, welcome to the club. We’re all dangerous here.” Dean pointed at himself. “I broke the first seal.” He pointed to Sam. “He let Lucifer out of the cage.” He pointed to Cas. “He’s stupid enough to stick around us.” The Doctor was smiling wider than ever, obviously amused with the lot of them.

Cas was staring intently at Donna, eyes squinted and head tilted, like a curious puppy. Dean felt something twinge inside of him. He’d only ever seen Cas look at _him_ that way. He looked around and realized no one else seemed to be seeing this, and shuffled uncomfortably, looking back at the Doctor, a curious look on his face as he flickered back and forth from Cas and Dean.

_Shit._

“I’m Dean, by the way.” Dean was saying, and motioned towards Sam again. “That’s my kid brother Sammy.”

“Sam.” The taller man corrected, and Dean rolled his eyes.

“And that’s Cas - - Castiel, uh, Angel of the Lord, and personal friend of yours truly.” The corners of Cas’ lips turned up at that, and The Doctor surged forwards to shake every single one of their hands, making eye contact with forceful enthusiasm.

It was hard not to like the dude. His cheer was contagious.

He shook Dean’s hand almost twice as long as he did Sam’s or Cas’, and although he appreciated the man’s gesture, whatever that may be, he was less appreciative of the glares Cas and Sam sent his way. The guy was being friendly, well, it had been a while since they met someone this friendly, well-actually, they’ve never met someone _this friendly,_ but there was no reason to glare at the guy.

Donna came over now, timidly, as if she was walking on eggshells, and gave a nervous hello and a wave, and Cas continued staring at her like she was something much more than just human.

“What is your name again?” Cas asked, and Donna blushed furiously, the red on her face clashing with the red in her hair.

“Donna. Noble. _Human._ ” She reiterated. Cas nodded, but Dean could tell he wasn’t so sure.

While Donna was meeting the three men, The Doctor had taken upon himself to look around Sam’s research. He pulled out some kind of contraption, waving it across the papers, and looked at it, eyes wide and searching.

“What are you-“ Sam started, but The Doctor cut him off.

“It’s not a banshee, and it’s not a _ghoul_ ,” he kept looking at the contraption in his hand curiously. “But it can’t be, what, no, no, it _can’t._ ” He looked like he was about to be sick. Dean took a step to make sure the guy didn’t pass out, but Cas was on him, an arm like a steel pole keeping him back.

“What is it?” Donna asked, hysteria raising.

“It absolutely can _not_ be what I think this is because we destroyed them all years ago and it is simply _not possible_.” The Doctor was horrifying when he was like this.

“We?” Donna blubbered. “What the-the-the adipose thingies?” She asked, and The Doctor looked up at her.

“No, not you, Donna. _We,_ meaning, _Rose_.” Donna took in a sharp breath.

“Well what is it?”

“Impossible.” The Doctor continued, and Dean and Sam were getting obviously frustrated.

“Who is Rose?” Cas asked. He went ignored by the rest of the outcasts.

“Doctor?”

“Doctor.”

“Doctor!”

“They’re gelth.” He said finally, and slipped his contraption back into his suit pocket.

“Gelth?”

“I’ve never heard of gelth.”

“It’s another extraterrestrial humanoid-“

“Dammit, Cas!”

“Doctor!” Donna’s voice, once again, trumped them all.

“They’re not supposed to be alive.” He said, grumbling at the floor. “Unless.”

“Unless?” The four said in unison.

“Unless there’s another time rift.”

Silence.

“And Rose?” Donna asked gingerly. The Doctor grinned up at her.

“And Rose.” He said.

The three men shared a look of confusion The Doctor and Donna shared a moment of unbridled happiness. They had even _more_ catching up to do now, it seemed.


	3. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Sam have a lot of questions for The Doctor, but it seems like Cas might have more for Donna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of fun writing this story, but I'm still going to apologize for messing up the timey-wimey aspect of it all. xoxo Enjoy!

“Who’s Rose?” A tentative voice asked. Dean coughed, realizing it was his voice, suddenly soft and without its usual gruffness, and continued. “If you don’t mind me asking, is all.” The Doctor grinned, eyebrows raised to his hairline.

“She’s…” The Doctor looked around, searching for words, and Dean saw the affection stirring in his eyes. He felt the air escape his lungs, and let out a soft _oh_.

The Doctor nodded.

“What happened to her?” Sam asked, and Dean glanced over at him, noticing his brother’s now relaxed stance, and sympathetic look. The Doctor looked down at his feet.

“I lost her.” Dean could tell the interrogation was painful for The Doctor, but couldn’t help his curiosity.

“And now we can find her?” The Doctor nodded, and rocked on the balls of his feet.

“Yeah,” he said, and Dean couldn’t help but to share the man’s happiness. He looked to Sam, who was struggling to hide his own smile, and to Cas, who was still staring at Donna. She noticed him now, and had a mixed look of confusion and surprised pleasure written on her face. Cas seemed to notice now that everyone was staring at him staring at Donna, and averted his eyes, shifting uncomfortably between his feet.

“Dude, what is your issue? Do you want to bang Donna or something?” Dean felt himself explode, and caught The Doctor rear back and let out a throaty laugh. Cas glared at them both, and Donna shared his look of contempt.

“I don’t even know what that means, Dean.” He said defensively, and looked back at Donna. “She is… peculiar.” He took a step towards her, his eyes squinted in confusion. “She is human, not a prophet, not anything possessing her, perfectly ordinary.” Cas was saying, still taking steps towards the fiery red-head. “There is something… extraordinary about her.” He was merely inches away from her face, now, and the woman gave her best nervous smile to the angel. Dean felt his fists clench.

“Personal space, Cas!” He all but screamed, and Cas gave Donna another look before gliding over to Dean’s side.

“So, gelth.” Sam said, breaking the now awkward silence. The Doctor raised his eyebrows, and nodded, taking the hint.

“Gelth, as Castiel said, is another extra-terrestrial humanoid. In the Time War,” The Doctor paused, and began to walk across the rooms, hands deep in his pockets. “, all the gelth were destroyed-well-their bodies, anyway, and I was entirely sure Rose and I destroyed the rest of them, but, as usual, I was wrong.” Donna scoffed.

“You are _never_ wrong.” She laughed, and The Doctor paused his pacing to give Donna an appreciative look.

“I thought the Daleks were extinct, by my hand, but I have seen Daleks upon Daleks now, so I was obviously wrong in that thought, and the gelth, I also thought they had been extinct, up until the last time I thought I destroyed them, which, obviously, did not work as planned, though, admittedly, the plan was to blow up the entire house where they were, and that was nearly two hundred years ago, approximately, so perhaps the same Time Rift was opened near-“ The Doctor spun, facing the brothers.

“Where are we, exactly?” He asked, and Sam replied.

“Lawrence, Kansas.” They always seemed to end up back in Lawrence. The Doctor nodded, and continued pacing, and continued his thinking out loud.

“I thought I eliminated the Daleks, _wrong_ , and I thought I had eliminated the gelth, _wrong_ ,” he sighed. “Somehow, the only species I managed to truly wipe out was my own. It must be some kind of cosmic irony.” Dean felt his heart ache for the man, and snuck a look at Cas, stone-faced as ever. He wondered for a second if Cas could ever feel that kind of compassion he felt for The Doctor, or sympathy for him at all, or _anything_ , really, but it seemed as if the angel was void of every human emotion.

“How do we kill them?” Sam asked, and The Doctor looked at him warily.

“Fire. The gelth don’t have bodies, so they live off of the gaseous states of rotting people.” The Doctor laughed at the unchanging faces of the three men, and at Donna’s gagging. “We need to find the Rift. IF we find it, we can close it, and then we can deal with the gelth later.”

“What does Rose have to do with this?” Dean asked.

“Rose is in a parallel dimension.” The Doctor paused again to gauge the men’s reactions, but seeing them, once again, without a hint of shock, he continued. “If we find the Time Rift, we can try to access the parallel universe, and I could say… goodbye.” He swallowed. “Properly.”

“Goodbye?” Sam was incredulous. “Why wouldn’t you take her with you? Rescue her?”

“I can’t.” The Doctor said, his voice fierce, for the first time. The conversation was over. “Let’s go find the gelth. Show me where they are; where you were hunting them.”

* * *

 

“They are smart.” The Doctor said, blandly, as they walked into the morgue. “They don’t kill so they don’t attract publicity, and they go where the dead are everywhere.”

“How did you get past the guards?” Sam asked as the door closed behind the time lord and the brothers. Donna and Cas remained in the car under strict orders to remain there until they returned.

“Psychic paper.” The Doctor explained. “Show whatever I want the person to see.” He dook the object out of his pocket, flinging it open to reveal ‘John Smith’s’ FBI badge. Sam looked at the man in awe. “I’m not nearly as clever as you two though, what with creating your own from nothing.” The brothers were hushed in appreciative thanks.

“I want one.” Sam said, much like a child would, and The Doctor grinned.

“What does a Time Rift look like?” Dean asked, silently impressed with The Doctor’s advanced technology.

“Trust me, if you see it, you’ll know.” The Doctor looked around the room curiously, and reached into his pocket for his contraption.

“What is that?” Dean asked, and The Doctor smiled broadly.

“You two ask a lot of questions.” He said, amused, but Dean bristled with anger.

“We’re just trying to understand.” Sam said, sensing his brother’s anger. The Doctor nodded.

“That’s what makes you two brilliant.” He said, and Dean averted his gaze. Of course The Doctor wasn’t being an asshole. The Doctor turned on the contraption, and pointed it at various parts of the room as it whirred. “It’s a sonic screwdriver.” He explained. “It’s like a screwdriver, except… sonic.” He looked at the thing intently, and shook his head. “There’s nothing here. No gelth. Nothing.” Dean and Sam shared a sigh of frustration.

“The search continues.” Dean said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I have one more question.” Sam said, and The Doctor focused all of his attention on the taller man. “The spaceship, the TARDIS, can we see the inside?” Dean could practically feel the nerd pouring out of his younger brother’s body. The Doctor grinned.

“Allons-y!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What were Cas and Donna doing in the car? (Hint: Not doing the do.)


	4. The Rift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesus, Cas, stop staring at Donna and help us find the rift!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS SO HARD TO WRITE. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I couldn't get away from the dialogue to get to the plot and I know it seems rushed and augh. Sorry. Enjoy. (:

“It’s bigger on the inside,” Dean said, trying to hide the excitement in his voice, and gave a noncommittal shrug as he looked back at The Doctor, who wore a knowing look. Dean smiled sheepishly, turning back at his brother. Sam was staring, eyes wide and childlike as his pupils bounced around the inside of The Doctor’s TARDIS.

“This… is incredible.” Sam said, breathless, and Dean coughed out _nerd_ , but it fell on deaf ears. Sam was in awe, face illuminated by the light of the center of the TARDIS, and he looked like he was about six again, the way he looked at the Christmas tree display in the middle of Sears.

Sam still considered that to be the best Christmas he had ever had.

The Doctor looked around, a face of pride written on his face. “She is sexy, isn’t she?” He said, smoothing his hand over the precious machinery. Dean smiled.

“I know that look. That’s how I look at baby. My only true love.” Dean laughed, eliciting a sad smile from The Doctor. The two were more alike than it had seemed.

But this was getting too chick-flicky for Dean.

“Hey, Sammy, I know you have a raging brain hard-on, but we got work to do.” Sam huffed as he backed out of the TARDIS, and Dean and The Doctor shared a chuckle as they watched him stumble out.

Cas was standing a little too close to Donna, and she seemed less than bothered with it. She had a small smile on her lips as she snuck looks at the angel, and Dean felt a burn in the pit of his stomach.

“Are you two gonna start holding hands?” Dean joked, but the words came out harsh, and hard, and if looks could kill, Donna would be burying Dean’s body by now.

“I don’t know why, Dean, but Donna is important. I feel a necessary urge to protect her at all costs.” Cas said, and Dean felt his heart drop. Donna’s smile was boastful, her eyes laughing at Dean. Dean felt his teeth grind together as he nodded his head.

“Fine, Cas. But you need to do your _job_. Can you find the gelth?” Dean wasn’t sure how he managed to say that with his teeth smashed together.

“O-or the time rift?” Sam added, finally out of his nerd-coma.

“I don’t know.” Cas murmured, and everyone’s heads snapped towards him. “My ‘mojo’, as Dean refers to it, seems to be faltering.” The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and Dean watched, nervously shuffling as the man pointed the thing directly at his best friend.

“The time rift could be nearby if we had any kind of way to track it.” Sam said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have lore on time lords, time rifts… or gelth.”

“The rift isn’t something you can track, is it? It’s not like a nest of vamps.” Dean cut in, but The Doctor was too wrapped up in whatever he read on Cas’ body. Dean’s eyes floated up to Cas and he gave his friend a reassuring smile.

“It’s not because of the time rift.” The Doctor said, looking up at Cas. The angel stood rigid, and gave The Doctor a stern glare. The Doctor gave a slight nod and started pacing around the room again, clearly thinking, his eyes wide, not focusing on anything in the room for more than a millisecond.

“I could go search online, see if anything else weird is going on, or, I could look up all of the morgues, funeral homes, um, anywhere with an abundance of dead bodies.” Sam supplied.

“Or we could split up. Sam and I could go check some funeral homes out, some more morgues, suicide cults, whatever, and you could do your time lord thing, and Cas and Donna here can stay back and stare at each other some more.” He shot a smile at the pair, both with the same look of frustration and exasperation on their faces.

“We’re not splitting up.” The Doctor said, stopping to look up at Dean. “If we split up, there’s a bigger chance of us all dying. There’s strength in numbers, Dean.” He said, and made a point of looking over at Cas before lifting his eyebrows at Dean again.

“Then what _are_ we going to do?” Donna deadpanned, clearly unimpressed with The Doctor. Dean felt a chuckle tickle the back of his throat. Under different circumstances, he’d have liked Donna.

“I don’t see any way out of splitting up to find this thing.” Dean said, and saw Sam nodding in agreement. The Doctor shook his head vehemently. “You gotta level with me, Doc!” The Doctor’s eyebrow quirked in amusement at the nickname, but his face kept the same, gravely uninterested in the thought of splitting up.

“We all stay together.” He said, glancing at the group of misfits before him. Dean rolled his eyes and balled his fists, frustrated with the thought of not being in control. “Sorry, Dean. Oldest one makes the rules.” He mused, and Dean smirked.

“Cas is like, 4,000 years old, Doc. So maybe we should ask him.” He felt the smugness in his voice travel to his eyes and upturned lips, and The Doctor looked about ready to pummel him. Dean turned his attention to the angel, who was almost beaming with the kind words Dean had said.

“I think we should listen to Dean.” Cas said, and The Doctor audibly moaned from the loss of control. Dean, however, practically bounced over to where Cas was standing, draping an arm around the man’s shoulders.

“The power of friendship, Doc. Never doubt it.” He said lightly, and patted Cas’ shoulder before walking towards Sam, the two making plans on where to hit first, Sam immediately hopping onto his computer before they discussed anything further. Dean peered back up at Cas, listening attentively as Donna whispered something to him. His brow furrowed, and his eyes shot up to where Dean was. They locked eyes for a second, both questioning each other, before Cas averted his eyes, and Dean was knocked from his spell, and leaned over beside Sam to look at the laptop.

* * *

 

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Donna whispered ferociously at Dean. Somehow he had gotten paired to do recon with Cas and Donna, which The Doctor was none too happy about. Dean shushed her, glancing at Cas with a look of impending kick-assery. The three were pressed against the wooden structure of a seemingly abandoned cemetery. Dean made the assumption that it was the groundskeeper’s shed, which Sam then proved to be correct, to Dean’s ultimate satisfaction.

Today seemed to be his day.

He nodded at Cas, signaling go time, and the three shuffled to the door, which Dean kicked open with ease, the wood splintering into shards under his booted foot. He led the group, his gun poised to shoot if the time called for it.

The light inside was almost blinding. A crack, in the middle of the wall, glowed with a pulsing yellowish light, like the sun was trapped behind the walls of the rickety shack. Dean stepped closer, and felt Cas’ strong hand on his bicep, pulling him back.

“No, Dean.” He said, and Dean nodded, letting Cas drag him back to safety. Donna had stepped outside of the shack, motioning for The Doctor and Sam to come see what they had found.

“The rift,” was all that The Doctor said. He pulled another contraption out from his coat, and fiddled with the buttons, causing it to make an unbearable screeching noise, and darted towards the crack in the wall. Dean followed blindly, a mix of concern for The Doctor along with a sense of responsibility for his brother and best friend. He stood shoulder to shoulder with the time lord, jaw clenched as the other man huffed with frustration. Finally, he shouted a triumphant “aha!” and Dean grounded himself, prepared for the worst. The crack in the wall started becoming bigger, and Dean saw the faintest notion of a beach on the inside of the light. He leaned forward, trying to get a better view, and heard Cas’ voice telling him to back away.

He turned towards the man, an attempt to reassure him that he was okay, and he felt the light of the time rift heat his skin.

He was falling.

Falling.

_Falling._

Into the time rift.

He hit the sand with a hard thud, and groaned in immediate discomfort.

“Dean?” A thick English voice pierced the silence. It wasn’t The Doctor’s. Or Donna’s. It was different. Young, and void of happiness. He opened his eyes, his gaze settling on a petite blonde girl with a confused, saddened expression on her face. “That’s your name? I heard them call you.” She said, and extended her hand. Dean pushed himself off the ground, and let her pull him up.

“Where are they?” He asked, rubbing his shoulder, and looking around the beachy area. His eyes darted back to the girl, whose eyes were filling with tears.

“Dean, I’m Rose.” She said, her voice muffled with sadness. Dean stopped breathing. “Rose Tyler.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me just yet I swear I have a plan.


	5. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's set these sons of bitches on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so sad! 
> 
> Enjoy anyway! <3

Sam tried to react, but the world had gone deathly silent, a ringing in his ears too loud and too soft at the same time. His hands and feet felt as if they were sinking into the ground, the only thing keeping him standing after seeing his brother fall into the opening crack in the wall. The Doctor was pressed up against the wall of the shack, banging his fists in a fury, but Sam watched everything in a blurred slow-motion, dizzy from the overwhelming sense that Dean was gone.

The ringing became louder, the faint buzz of human voices around him slowly being made out. Cas was screaming at The Doctor, and the time lord just kept repeating that he was _sorry, so, so, sorry_. Donna was left beside him, and he felt the warmth of her hand he had no idea was even there until a second ago.

“Are you hurt?” She said, her voice now much softer, almost motherly. He nodded in response, and felt the tears he’d been shedding fall with thundering reality onto his jeans. He had fallen too, it seemed, and Donna was crouched down beside him, trying to protect him from the reality of the situation.

Dean was gone.

In a movement too quick for him to register, he was on his feet, in front of The Doctor, grabbing the man by his collar and slamming him hard against the wall of the shack. He was screaming, slurred words full of emotion, but The Doctor wasn’t scared, or angry, he just had an overall sense of _understanding_ , and with another push, Sam let go of the man, and crumpled to his knees, slamming his hands against the shack until his entire body was numb. Cas was the same, silently pounding into the shack until Sam’s hair was full of splintered wood, and the hole in the wall was enough to make Cas aware that Dean was in fact _not_ on the other side of the wood.

Dean was gone.

And then, Cas was beside him, gasping for air that wasn’t there anymore, sputtering Dean’s name like a broken prayer, his knuckles bloody and battered.

“You have to bring him back, Cas.” Sam felt himself say, but the voice wasn’t one he recognized anymore. Cas just shook his head.

“I can’t.”

* * *

 

“So, what you’re saying is, and correct me if I’m wrong, because I _better_ be fucking wrong, is that I might as well be dead in the world I actually come from.” Dean’s voice was rightfully harsh, and Rose didn’t even flinch as the words were sent at her. She nodded, and her bottom lip wobbled as she answered him.

“How is he?” She asked, and Dean cursed himself inwardly, forgetting that she also had a life, a life that she was unfairly ripped from.

“He puts on a good front.” Dean answered, and Rose nodded.

“He always did. My Doctor.” She laughed, and let herself convulse into a wretched sob, and Dean pulled her close to him, his head pressed against her soft blonde locks, and let himself tear up along with her, the wind around them blowing ferociously, a cold air that chilled him to the bone, and made him feel alive, despite the fact that he was dead to his brother, to The Doctor, to Donna, and to Cas.

“What do we do?” He asked, his voice cracking. She tightened her hold around him, and shook her head.

“Who did you leave behind?” She asked in reply, an obvious aversion of the answer _there is nothing we can do_.

“My brother, Sammy.” He managed to choke out. He clenched his eyes shut. “And my best friend, Cas. Castiel.” He felt the tears fall, and apologized as he realized they were falling into her hair. Rose merely laughed and pointed at the wet spots on his shirt, blackened from her mascara. Dean felt himself laugh, but it felt like nothing, his heart wasn’t there.

“You’d think I’d learn to find water-proof mascara,” she said, wiping her face, and Dean hastily did the same.

“I’m sorry.” Dean said, and Rose just looked up at him, eyes red and puffy, and smiled.

“Me too.” She said, and motioned with her head for him to follow her, footsteps in the sand, and hearts left where they found themselves after being ripped apart from their family.

* * *

 

“When were you gonna tell us, Cas?” Sam asked, and Castiel brushed the dried blood from his knuckles. Castiel sighed. Losing his angel mojo wasn’t something to be particularly proud of; it was like losing his pride, his livelihood, and purpose to live.

“Perhaps I was apprehensive and thought you would think I was no longer useful.” Castiel answered, and looked up at The Doctor, who was frowning down at them.

“Cas, we don’t keep you around ‘cause you’re useful.” Sam said slowly. “You’re family to us. Another Winchester. Cursed.” He laughed, dryly, and Castiel felt his heart wrench tightly in his chest. It would have been a compliment he would remember until he died, but Dean was no longer with them, and therefore, their family was no longer intact.

“We should at least be able to kill the gelth, now.” The Doctor said, and Castiel felt himself burn with hatred for this intruder who let Dean go through the time rift.

“If we had focused on that thought instead of trying to regain communication with your Rose Tyler, Dean would still be here.” Castiel said, his eyes hard on The Doctor’s face.

“If you had a chance to see Dean again, Castiel, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to regain communication?” The Doctor said back, too calmly, too understanding, and Castiel wanted to hit him. Of course he would. He would rip apart space and time, heaven and hell, Earth, and any remaining locations to get back to Dean. Donna stood beside The Doctor, her arms folded on her chest, eyes watery. Castiel looked at her for a half-second, and turned to Sam, aching for some kind of reassurance he had always gotten from his brother.

Sam looked just as lost and devastated as he felt, maybe more so, and he felt his hand travel to Sam’s shoulder, trying to reassure him that they were still alive, but forcing reality back on them both. Sam’s face distorted, and he covered his sadness with his hands, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Donna sat between them, her hands on the back of their necks, soothing circles being made by the soft skin of her thumbs.

“So, what do we do,” Donna asked The Doctor slowly, softly. “Do we wait for the gelth?”

“We wait.” The Doctor said, a lie on his lips. A kindness, perhaps, for Castiel and Sam to regroup before avenging their Dean’s loss.

Castiel couldn’t wait to see this shack in flames, the screams of the gelth ringing through the smoky fumes.

* * *

 

The sun had risen and set, and Sam and Cas were preparing the shack to burst into flames instantly. Sam siphoned gasoline from the Impala, against Cas’ wishes, and poured the nocuous liquid over the wooden floors, making sure to fling extra gasoline where the time rift once stood, destroying the wall that took his brother. Cas watched as Sam came out of the shack, and The Doctor made his way over to them, apprehensive in his movements.

“Ready?” He asked, and Sam and Cas gave the time lord a solitary nod. Sam tossed Cas a matchbox, and raised his eyebrows, questioning Cas’ knowledge on how to light one. Cas looked up, lips pursed, and nodded, averting his eyes, and ripping several of the matches out of the box. The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver whirred, and he raised it in the air.

Graves around them started shuffling, the dirt upturned, hands reaching, clawing their way out of the ground.

The Doctor stood in the middle of the shack, and the moldy corpses, limbs, and parts falling off behind them, crammed themselves inside of the wooden thing. Cas looped his arms with The Doctor and Sam, Donna safely outside, strict orders to hide, as far away and safely as possible.

The bluish corpses began to gain on them, and The Doctor whispered _NOW_ and Sam and Cas lit the matches, and Cas used the remaining power he had that day to fly them to safety.

Outside of the shack, Cas and Sam’s arms remained looped as they watched the shack where their family fell apart fly up in flames, the orange, yellow, and red heat licking the black sky.

One day down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tell which point of view it is because Cas still refers to himself as Castiel and Sam refers to him as Cas.
> 
> Why haven't I done point of views of Donna or The Doctor or Rose yet?
> 
> Hm.


	6. Not-so-Cas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Messy, brown hair.” Dean said, and squinted his eyes before continuing, picturing the last time he saw Cas. “Big, blue eyes, like huge. Way too big for his face. And he’s always squinting them, and doing this little head tilt, like a confused puppy.” Dean said, and laughed dryly. It hurt to think about him, or Sammy.  
> “Like him?” Rose said, and pointed off into the distance. There stood Cas, looking into the ocean, hands deep in pockets of beige pants.  
> Dean ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be able to post chapters every day until Friday... 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter it's by far one of my favorites!

“Tell me about them,” Rose had said, and Dean would be lying if he hadn’t jumped at the chance to do so.

“Sammy, he’s the kind of brother everyone wishes they had, but I’m the one who got lucky enough to get him.” Dean said. Chick-flick moments be damned. He was dead back home, and as far as this world came, it didn’t matter if someone thought of him as some sappy wimp. “He’s smart as hell, he got into Stanford, he was about to pass the bar exam before I came and fucked it all up for him.” He shook his head, and Rose wrapped her fingers around his. He glanced down at their intertwined fingers before continuing. “I brought him back from the dead, you know? I sold my soul to get him back.” Rose took a sharp intake of air and he huffed a laugh. “I went to hell for a long time.” He said, and the words coming from his mouth felt too ridiculous to be true, but this was his _life_ , what had actually happened to him. And now this. Another fucking notch on the bad luck headboard. “Cas saved me from it. He’s an angel.” He added, forgetting to mention this detail.

“That’s sweet.” Rose said, a smile making her nose crinkle. Dean laughed.

“No, he’s an actual angel of the Lord. He rescued me from hell. I have the burn mark to prove it.” He said, and ripped the cloth further off his shoulder, showing her the scarred red skin where Cas’ handprint was forever etched into his skin.

“That’s incredible.” She said, and bit her lip. “What does he look like?” She hummed, and Dean rolled his eyes for her to see, eliciting a giggle from the petite blonde.

“Like a holy tax accountant,” he bartered, his lips turning up. “He looks normal. I’ve never seen him as an angel, just as an angel possessing some guy named Jimmy.”

“And what does _Jimmy_ look like?” She asked, an obvious attempt to get him to confess some kind of harbored feelings for Cas.

“Messy, brown hair.” Dean said, and squinted his eyes before continuing, picturing the last time he saw Cas. “Big, blue eyes, like _huge_. Way too big for his face. And he’s always squinting them, and doing this little head tilt, like a confused puppy.” Dean said, and laughed dryly. It hurt to think about him, or Sammy.

“Like him?” Rose said, and pointed off into the distance. There stood Cas, looking into the ocean, hands deep in pockets of beige pants.

Dean ran.

* * *

 

“There has to be a way for us to find another time rift, to find a way to get Dean back.” Sam said, and Castiel nodded in agreement. Nothing was impossible when it came to the Winchesters.

“You are forgetting.” The Doctor said, and Castiel felt himself bristle, “You have things in the world that you _live_ in that needs to be corrected.” The Doctor raised his eyebrows and bounced his gaze between the two. “The apocalypse?”

Castiel sighed. Despite Dean’s disapproval of being Michael’s vessel, the end of times was still inevitable. Somehow, Michael would find a vessel, and Sam would somehow say yes to Lucifer, and without Dean, Sam saying yes was more than a great possibility at this point.

“We have to protect you from angels.” Castiel said to Sam, and the hunter shook his head.

“I’m not going _anywhere_ , until my brother is back here. Safe, with us, and not locked away with The Doctor’s long-lost girlfriend.” Sam said, and Castiel warmed with the notion that he wasn’t the only one holding a grudge against The Doctor at this point. Sam clenched his jaw, and stared wide-eyed at the floor before continuing. “I am going to trudge my way through internet scum to find _anything_ about time rifts, as ridiculous as anything sounds, and we are going to _get Dean back_.”

Castiel looked up to The Doctor, expecting anger on the time lord’s face, but he looked pleasantly proud, like a father whose son just scored a touchdown.

“We’ll help in any way that we can.” Donna chimed in, glaring expectantly at The Doctor, and Castiel found himself smiling at her.

“Thank you, Donna.” Sam said, smiling genuinely up at her, and Castiel saw the blush spread through the redhead’s face, a smile forming on her lips. The Doctor gave Sam a slip of paper, numbers written across the top.

“This is the number to call the TARDIS, so you can call _me_ if you two need, find, or know anything.” The man said, and Sam forced a smile up at him, a thank you spit out of his mouth almost as an afterthought. The pair walked to the TARDIS, and Sam and Castiel watched as the blue box disappeared from their motel room, silence falling, the room empty without Dean’s sarcastic commentary.

“Are you staying, Cas?” Sam asked, and Castiel thought it sounded almost hopeful in a way.

“I seem to have no other choice.” Castiel responded, and Sam chuckled, a hollow sound echoing the walls.

“You can sleep in Dean’s bed.” Sam said softly, and Castiel could have imagined it, but he trudged over to the mattress anyway, slowly lowering himself onto the squeaky furniture. It smelled of Dean, mixed scents of sugar, and burgers, and gasoline, and Castiel couldn’t stop himself from breathing it in. He felt Sam’s eyes on him, and slowly lowered himself to lay on the thing, closing his eyes and trying to forget, and trying to remember.

“I think there’s enough room for two.” Castiel said, and hoped that Sam wouldn’t take his offer the wrong way. He looked back at the young hunter, lines on his face deep from pain. His eyes softened as he looked at Castiel, and then he nodded.

“I think you’re right, Cas.” He agreed, and shuffled over to the opposite side of the bed. The bed shifted under Sam’s added weight, and the two laid beside each other, wordlessly, emotionally drained from the day.

“We’ll get him back.” Castiel said, his voice unsure.

“Yeah, we will.” Sam said, emotion evident in his voice. Sam rolled onto his side, facing away from the other man, and Castiel ignored the hushed sobs from the man beside him, and focused on a stain on the ceiling until he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

“Cas?!” Dean screamed at the man. The brunet turned his head, and Dean slowed his pace as he approached the man. “Cas?” He asked, more breathless, and the smaller man opened his mouth in confusion.

“What?” The man who wasn’t Cas asked. His voice was more like Jimmy's, maybe a little more animated, unlike Cas' monotoned deep voice. Dean stepped closer, and looked the man up and down. His brown hair, unlike Cas’, was styled, perfectly gelled and parted, not at all like the real Cas’ bed-head. Fake Cas had large glasses, crooked on his face, but they covered the same big blue eyes that _his_ Cas had. Not-so-Cas was wearing a scarf, and peacoat, and beige pants, and _loafers_ , and this was so not Cas.

“I’m sorry, I thought you were-“

“No, my name, it is Castiel, but how-?” Fake Cas squinted up at him, blue eyes sparkling with confusion.

“You’re-“ Dean huffed out an involuntary puff of air. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I have to g-“

“Castiel, that’s a great name.” Rose said, coming forward to shake not-so-Cas’ hand. He smiled at her, and looked beside her at Dean.

“I’m sorry.” Dean said, backing away, but Rose caught him by the jacket sleeve and dragged him back beside her.

“He just lost a friend named Castiel. You look just like him.” Rose explained. “It was very recent.” The look on Fake Cas’ face changed drastically to pity and sorrow, and he reached out to Dean, a solid hand landing painfully similar on his shoulder.

“I am so sorry.” Fake Cas said, and Dean nodded. Not-so-Cas took his hand away from Dean’s shoulder, and his shoulder ached with the pain of the loss. “Would you, you both, like to go get a- a coffee, or something?” Dean shook his head, but Rose was already answering him.

“Of course we would, wouldn’t we, Dean?”

If looks could kill.

“It’s good to meet you, Dean.” Fake Cas said, and Dean looked at him, seeing the small smile on the man’s face. Still not _Cas._

“You too, Cas, uh, Castiel.” Dean stuttered, and Rose bumped her hip against his leg.

“I’m Rose, by the way,” the blonde devil said, and not-so-Cas led them to the closest coffee shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't ship Sastiel but I really wish they had more 'bro'ments so I'm making them for them.


	7. Coffee Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Rose have coffee with Fake Cas, and Cas and Sam bunk down in the motel with no plans of leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt this fluff piece was needed for all the hell I'm putting you through.  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Enjoy!

Sam woke up, a restful fog settled in on him. His body woke before his brain, and he felt the soreness of his hands, his arms, and the burning of his eyes before he remembered. He rolled over, sitting himself up, and looked at Cas’ body beside him, curled and small, all angelic power missing from their angel of the Lord.

“What do you think Dean’s doing?” Cas’ voice asked. Sam jumped at the sound. He hadn’t realized the man was awake. Sam chuckled.

“Probably making eyes with The Doctor’s Rose.” He joked, and Cas’ eyes snapped open.

“That’s not funny, Sam.” He said, a sternness in his voice. Sam coughed. He was right.

“I don’t think we’ll ever know what he’s doing, Cas.” Sam said, stumbling off the bed. “I don’t think he’ll tell us even if we get him back.”

“When.” Cas corrected. “When we get him back.” Sam’s heart warmed at the words. “Don’t lose faith.” Cas grunted, and rolled himself off the bed, straightening his trench coat, and mussing his hair. Cas looked so painfully human it was hard to even remember him as the one who raised Dean from perdition, and Sam looked on him now with a pitying look more than anything.

“Let me teach you how to use a computer, Cas.”

* * *

 

The coffee shop painfully reminded Dean of Sam, but beneath the pain was an underlying sense of familiarity. He didn’t know what he was thinking of when The Doctor told him Rose was in a parallel dimension, except maybe there were more danger, more harm.

This dimension seemed pretty _normal_. He looked up and down the menu, a grimace on his face reading ridiculous coffee titles, before finally ordering a black coffee, and turning back to Rose and Fake Cas and asking what the hell a ‘cookie crumble mocha frappachino’ was. Fake Cas chuckled, shaking his head, and Dean bit his lip. This was so wrong.

When they finally sat down, the three sipped at their respective coffees wordlessly, before Rose cleared her throat and asked Fake Cas what he did for a living.

“I’m a pilot.” He said, and smiled, before correcting himself. “Well, I teach people how to fly planes, anyway.” He said, and Dean felt his brow furrow.

“So, you’re human?” He asked, and Fake Cas cocked his head, his eyes squinting.

“I’m not sure I understand what you-“

“You’re not an angel?” Dean asked, and Fake Cas looked at Rose before leaning closer to Dean.

“Is this… flirtation?” He whispered, and Dean felt his face get hot, and he stumbled over his words.

“Why, do you have a girlfriend, or boyfriend, Castiel?” Rose asked, and Dean stepped on her toes. Fake Cas leaned back and rolled his eyes.

“Look at me. Do you think I have anyone interested in _me_?” He asked, and Dean looked him up and down. He wasn’t bad looking, maybe a little dorky, but definitely not ugly.

“I don’t see anything wrong with you.” Dean said, shrugging, and Fake Cas gaped at him for a millisecond before focusing his attention on cleaning the rim of his coffee cup.

“What do you do, then, Dean?” Rose asked, and Dean glanced over to her wearing a very proud smile, looking between the two men like she was their own personal cupid. Dean rolled his eyes.

“I don’t do anything, right now, that is.” Dean said, and Fake Cas peeked up at him, blue eyes shining behind his thick-rimmed glasses.

“Can you build things?” He asked, and Rose would _not_ stop patting Dean’s leg, little excited giggles coming from the back of her throat.

* * *

 

“Are you really sure you should do that, Cas? Doesn’t that make you… weak?” Sam asked gingerly, watching Cas draw angel repelling sigils across the walls of the motel room with a sharpie he’d found on the floor. Cas’ shoulders sagged for a second before he answered.

“As my mojo is failing, it doesn’t seem quite necessary to be alarmed with that at the moment.” He said dryly. “And my vessel is strong by itself, even without my powers.” He said, and Sam nodded.

“You know, your vessel, Jimmy, he has a name.” Sam corrected, and he heard Cas sigh on the other side of the room.

“Shut up, Sam.” He said, and Sam guffawed.

Castiel thought maybe Dean would have been proud of him for that.

He finished drawing the sigils and looked at his handiwork for a moment, pleased that, for once, he didn’t have to bleed to draw these.

Sam was practically glued to his laptop, eyes fixed on the screen, darting across the words with speed and ferocity he’d never seen Sam have before.

Of course, this was all because of Dean, and Dean was more important to Sam than anything, so he shouldn’t have been too surprised.

Sam hadn’t left the screen for more than a few minutes at a time, and Castiel was starting to get worried that if Sam didn’t rest, or eat, or _defecate_ any time soon, he would have two Winchesters to worry about, instead of just the one.

He just wished that maybe he was in the room with Dean right now, instead of Sam.

He averted his gaze from Sam for a moment, feeling guilty of his thoughts.

Sam’s sigh knocked him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at the younger hunter, eyebrows raised.

“Are you hungry, Cas?” He asked, stretching, and Castiel felt his stomach.

He _was._

“Yes, I believe so.” He said, calmly, and Sam bit his lip, trying not to worry about the angel too much.

“We can order a pizza.” He said. “As long as I get to order the toppings.” Castiel nodded. He didn’t have much of a choice, it seemed, regardless of his non-existent food preferences.

“Banana pepper, mushroom, green pepper, black olives, and jalepenos it is.” He said, and smiled an almost genuine smile at Castiel. He returned a small smile, not understanding the list of ingredients, and sat on the edge of Dean’s empty bed as Sam called the order in.

* * *

 

Fake Cas explained to Dean that the airport where he worked, a dumpy, little place with two planes, was in dire need of fixing up, building wise. Dean nodded along, and agreed to help out, mainly so Rose would stop pinching his leg under the table where they were seated. When the two separated from the man, Dean pounced on her.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He said, pushing her gently. She giggled, and bumped against him, and Dean felt his anger fade, and found himself smiling along with her.

“You love me anyway.” She said, and he shook his head.

“I fucking hate you.” He corrected, and she puffed out her lower lip, another outburst of giggles when Dean huffed and looked away from her.

“You _like_ him. What else was I supposed to do? Watch you stare at him, hopelessly lost in his big, round eyes?” She said, dramatically, her hands flying to her chest. “Dean, I could never-“

“Shut up.” He said, and pulled her close, tussling her hair. “You’re like the little sister I’d have locked in the basement until she was 24, I swear.”

“You’re not denying it!” She screeched, and pulled away, a finger pointed at him. Dean stopped in his tracks.

_Fucking hell._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, if you want to find me on tumblr, here I am: [castielsmiles](http://castielsmiles.tumblr.com/)


	8. Hindsight 20/20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Cas get a surprise visitor; Fake Cas asks Dean about Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing really happens in this chapter; but I think it is needed. Tomorrow's will be better. Enjoy! :D

They weren’t thinking, Castiel realized. Dean always said he had perfect 20/20 hindsight, but he never felt more paralyzed about it until now.

Sam had jumped to open the motel room door, stomach grumbling for the pizza awaiting outside, and was instantly grabbed by Zachariah, flung outside, body hitting hard on the ground.

Castiel ran to save him, forgetting for a moment that he was as powerless to his brothers as Dean and Sam ever were, and Zachariah pushed him against the wall of the motel wall, fingers tightening around his throat.

“Where is Michael’s vessel, Castiel?” He heard, but he couldn’t see straight, or breathe, and he was starting to see little stars, his vision blackening.

“Let him go!” He heard Sam scream, and then a guttural choke, and coughing. Zachariah was killing Sam.

“Tell me where Dean is, and maybe I’ll save you.” Zachariah’s voice was stern, and almost too nonchalant for the acts of horrors he was placing upon the two.

“He’s gone!” Sam said, choking on what Castiel could only imagine was his own blood. Zachariah’s fingers tightened for a moment before releasing Castiel’s throat, and he slid down the wall, clutching at his neck, air finally returning to his lungs.

“What do you _mean_ , he’s gone?” Zachariah all but shouted, and Castiel watched as Sam curled into a ball, blood pouring from his mouth. Castiel reached for his blade, and started carving into his leg.

“He’s gone.” Sam continued, and the coughing had ceased, Zachariah finally wising up to the fragility of the human body. “He went through a time rift. He’s _gone._ ” Sam said, and looked up at Zachariah, blood dripping from a smirk on his face. “And now, so are you.” Sam slammed his hand down on the angel repelling sigil, and Castiel slammed his hand on his leg, a sigil of his own, preventing him from returning with Zachariah to heaven. Sam ran over to him, blood smeared across his face, and Castiel watched as his face turned fifty different emotions, before settling on concerned.

“Cas, what the hell happened?” Castiel pushed on the wound, wincing, trying to stop the bleeding.

“I’m still an angel, Sam. I needed to stop myself from being banished.” Sam moved Castiel’s hands off of the wound, looking at the damage.

“Jesus, Cas, you cut too deep.” He whispered, and flung Castiel’s arm over his shoulder, lifting him almost effortlessly off of the ground, forcing him to limp into the motel room.

He found a first aid kit in a bag tossed thoughtlessly on a chair, and began to stitch up Castiel’s wound, ignoring the man’s whines and moans as he did so.

“Cas.” He said, once he finally finished. “Do you think you could find a way to make it so we’re walking undercover from angels?”

* * *

 

Fake Cas wasn’t joking when he said that their airport was small, and he _definitely_ wasn’t kidding when he said they needed help rebuilding. The building was practically torn down, and Dean walked around in horror as Fake Cas showed him around. Where they kept their two planes was slightly better, but tarp was stapled onto the rooftops to prevent rain from coming down on the planes.

Dean had his work cut out for him.

“Why the hell did it take you this long to find someone to fix it?” He finally asked, a panicked look sent towards Fake Cas’ way. The other man just shrugged, a small smile on his face.

“Maybe I was waiting for the right carpenter.”

“Who, Jesus?” Dean asked, and Cas laughed at his joke.

“That was really clever, Dean.” He smiled, and Dean felt himself smiling back. This was too easy, and felt too _normal_. “So,” Cas started, and shifted his weight onto his left foot. “Are you and Rose-“ He made spastic motions with his hands, and Dean shook his head vehemently.

“Definitely not.” He said, and shuddered. “She’s like a sister. She’s letting me stay with her and her parents.” He said. And he was grateful. He had no clothes, no home, not even his baby. He missed his car almost as much as he missed his brother and best friend.

The best friend who had a doppelganger here, staring at him expectantly.

“Sorry, I got caught up in – nevermind. What’s up?” Dean asked, and Fake Cas shook his head slowly.

“Um, no, nothing, are you ready to start?” He asked, and Dean shrugged, nodding.

“Sure, Cas – uh, Castiel.” Fake Cas shifted awkwardly, and looked up at Dean.

“You can call me Cas if you want to, Dean.” He said, and Dean huffed, shoulders suddenly tense.

“Cas.” He said, and Fake Cas led him to where the leaking was really bad.

* * *

 

 “If you keep flinching, it is going to hurt much more.” Cas was saying, but Sam just wanted to throttle him. When he asked Cas to ward them from angels, he didn’t expect Cas to carve him like Thanksgiving turkey. So, there they were, Cas leaning over Sam, laying on his stomach, and the angel was carving enochian into his skin.

“I’ll draw this down so you can do it to me next.” Cas said, and Sam hissed at the sudden burn of metal slicing through flesh.

“I’ve never hated you more, Cas.” He said through clenched teeth.

“Somehow I doubt that.” He said slowly, another slice of his blade into Sam’s skin. Sam felt his brow furrow.

“Cas, you know I’m kidding. I don’t – ah Cas! Fuck! I don’t actually hate you.” Cas stopped for a moment, and Sam rolled onto his side to look back up at the angel.

“That is very nice to hear, Sam.” He said, and dug his blade into Sam again, slicing upwards, and smiled. “I’m finished.” He said, and Sam huffed in relief.

“Pass me the whisky.” He said, and took several long chugs of it, the warmth spreading through him like wildfire. He passed it back to Cas, and smirked. “Drink up, Cas. You’re next.”


	9. Hands to Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is good with his hands; Cas and Sam are getting no where with their hunt for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so dreadfully sorry how late this is but I think I've made it up to you with this chapter, which is just shameful fluff.

Dean was good with his hands. He understood how to fix things, maybe not emotionally, but definitely if there was a broken car, or a leaky sink, or a broken rooftop. So, it didn’t come to a surprise to him when only after a couple weeks, he had fixed everything he could with Fake Cas’ airport. He walked around, or strutted, was more like it, proud of his accomplishments. No more tarp over the holes in the roof, no more missing floorboards, no more wobbly stairs. Fake Cas had even asked him to look at the plumbing, and Dean had fixed that in less than a day, much to Fake Cas’ growing discomfort.

Fake Cas’ requests for Dean had gotten more and more ridiculous as the days passed, and when he asked Dean to make sure the bolts on the doors were properly oiled, Dean laughed and shook his head.

“Cas! Are you going to pay me to oil squeaky doors? Honestly?” Fake Cas had bitten his lip in response, and shuffled uncomfortably until he asked Dean a personal favor.

“Would you be able to help me with stuff around my house, Dean?”

And who could say no to those shiny blues eyes?

Fake Cas’ house was small, but warm, a two-bedroom home with dark yellow walls and navy furniture. The lighting was dim, and before Dean could ask, Fake Cas turned to him and asked him if he knew anything about electrical devices. Dean smirked.

“I’ve been making stuff from other parts of stuff since I was a kid.” He said, and mentally high-fived himself for his vagueness. Fake Cas tilted his head and stared at Dean for a moment, an impressed look of confusion spreading across his features.

“You are something else, Dean.” He said simply, and motioned with his hand for Dean to follow him, explaining the various problems with his house he simply couldn’t fix. Dean looked at the pictures along Fake Cas’ walls, pictures of the man smiling with what he assumed were family members, with his airplane, and noticed a picture of he and Anna, and one with Balthazar and Gabriel, both men mussing their hands through Cas’ thick hair while he laughed.

“I could straighten all of these out for you, too, Cas.” He said, and straightened a picture frame to prove his point. Fake Cas stopped in his tracks, and looked back at the green-eyed man behind him, focused on a picture of he and his brothers. He smiled for a half-second, and stood beside Dean, their arms brushing for a moment.

“My brothers.” He explained, and Dean nodded, an “I figured” muttered from under his breath. Cas looked at this strange man beside him, no idea why he was so invested in getting to know this person better, and then he smiled. Cas felt his heart clench, and Dean turned his head, and cocked it so he was looking at Cas straight on.

“I have a brother, Sammy. He’s younger, and he has longer hair than you do.” Dean laughed, a hearty, wonderful thing that Cas wished he could play on repeat for the rest of his life.

“He’s very lucky to have a brother like you.” He said, and Dean furrowed his brow, a smile still on his face. He nodded, the smile fading slowly, and Cas reached to touch his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” He asked, and Dean looked at him, an unreadable look in his eyes. He smirked, a sad little smirk, and nodded.

“Yeah, Cas. Show me what I’m workin’ with.”

* * *

 

Cas was a godsend, truly, he was, and Sam was grateful that he had this ally of his by his side, especially now, as a horde of demons stood over him, slowly being sliced and hacked at by Cas, who embodied the ‘warrior’ part of angels. His reflexes were on point, dodging punches and slicing at demons with such precision that Sam could only sit back and watch from a distance, silently hoping that Cas could teach him how to do some of that stuff.

The last demon living was held down by Cas, and Sam scrambled to his feet, watching as Cas hissed questions at the less-than-menacing creature, demanding answers to questions that just baffled the pleading thing, and Cas drove the knife far into the chest of the demon, pulsating light leaving the body before completely going still, a quiet in the room so stiff it hurt to breathe the air.

“Should we call The Doctor?” Sam asked, for the ninetieth time that week. Cas just scowled at him as he brushed by, muttering something in enochian so Sam couldn’t understand him.

“Not answering gives me the option to do it anyway!” He called after him, and Cas looked back, something in his eyes saying ‘you better fucking _not’_ and Sam knew very well that he absolutely wouldn’t cross Cas after the way he managed to kill with ease.

Sam knew the reasoning behind his utter distaste for The Doctor, but at the same time, the time lord was the best chance they had to find out more about time rifts, or about the parallel universe, or _anything_ to get Dean back to them; back _home_ , and Cas’ refusal to make do with the anger he held for the man was getting in their way of getting _anywhere_ with this whole damn investigation.

Sam thanked God when the blue box appeared outside of their motel the next day.

He also prayed for protection from Cas.

“We have news.” The Doctor said as he burst from the doors of the TARDIS.

* * *

 

Fake Cas kept him busy, and Dean kept him, a reminder of the life he had before he was trapped in this place. The ritual of Dean fixing Fake Cas’ house, and Fake Cas finding more problems for Dean to fix became more desperate, and Dean sometimes wondered if Fake Cas had an inkling of remembrance for Dean in the real world, if this Cas had a clue of who he really was.

But he didn’t, and Dean refused to get his hopes up for that.

“I’m done for the day, Cas. I hope you enjoy a clear television viewing tonight.” He said, and Cas smiled at him, something about him hesitant to let Dean leave just yet.

“Would you like to stay for dinner, Dean?” He asked, and Dean flinched back. Cas had never asked him to stay before. Before he could register what was happening, Dean was nodding, a yes on the smile of his lips.

And so they ate dinner, on Cas’ blue couch, surrounded by dark yellow walls, the silence a comfortable hum of peace.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” Cas asked, and Dean nodded, another smile appearing on his once weary face.

And so they sat on the blue couch, knees touching, hot cups of tea steaming between soft sips and warm glances.

It seemed like Cas had nothing else to offer him for the night, so when he made his way to the front door, Cas followed him, a gracious host, and Dean said goodnight.

He turned, hand on the knob, and hesitated to turn the thing. It felt almost _right_ to be in Cas’ house, to eat dinner, to have tea, and so he turned back, a hopeful look that Cas would have the same look of hope on his face.

Cas walked towards him slowly, and Dean pressed his back against the door as Cas drew nearer, and his mouth went dry when Cas was no more than an inch away from him, a darkness in those bright eyes.

“Tell me this is wrong.” Cas whispered, and Dean gave him a questioning look. “Tell me to stop and I’ll walk away, and I’ll make sure that we never speak of this again.”

Dean said nothing.

And Cas’ lips were on his, soft, but chapped, and Dean melted into them, his arms on Cas’ shoulders, pulling him in, pulling him close. Cas’ lips moved against his almost sinfully, slick and smooth, a soft tongue swiping across his bottom lip, and Dean all but sighed into the man’s mouth, hot and hard, and unbelievably right.

When they pulled apart, Dean opened his eyes slowly, making sure that he remembered this in case it was all a wonderful dream.

But Cas was still there, lips puffy and red, face flushed, panting, and so deliciously _his_.

He dove in for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice Dean stopped calling AU!Cas as Fake Cas? xox


	10. Dimension Jumping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose tells Dean her hidden secret. The Doctor tells Cas and Sam about Bad Wolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is almost done! Two or three more chapters at most! Enjoy! xoxo

“News? What news?” Castiel pushed past Sam, forcefully approaching The Doctor with as much contempt and ferocity as he could muster. His stance almost faltered as he watched The Doctor match his stance with equal ferocity, and instead turned his attention to Sam.

“Bad Wolf.” He said, and Castiel turned his head to Sam, the same confused look on both of their faces.

* * *

 

Dean awoke in a foggy daze, a peaceful, serene blur of bliss he’d never experienced before. His eyes shifted open, the rays of sunlight from a new morning streaming onto his face.

And then he saw Cas.

The dark-haired man was fast asleep, fingers placed almost indecently over Dean’s chest, lips hovering just above his shoulder. Dean felt himself move into Cas’ embrace, his fingers dancing across the man’s bare hipbone, a purple bruise making an appearance where Dean had marked him the previous night.

It was surreal, how easy this was, and how beautiful Cas looked with the sunlight peeking through his mussed strands of hair. Dean replayed the events from last night in his head, and his fingers made their way across Cas’ body as he remembered the soft, sweet taste of Cas’ lips.

Almost instinctively, Dean’s eyes floated up to Cas’ lips, the parted, pink, full, perfect lips that he finally was lucky enough to kiss. He slowly inched towards Cas, and pressed his own lips against his, and Cas smiled into them, awaking slowly, his fingers racing up Dean’s chest to his jaw, and through his hair, pulling Dean closer.

“Good morning.” He said, between kisses, and Dean grunted in response.

They remained there for a couple minutes, attached by the lips, bodies awakening in a warm buzz of electrifying heat.

And then, Dean’s phone rang. Dean pressed his lips hard against Cas’, and groaned as he forced himself to pull away from the other man, reaching for his dreadful contraption and answering it with a tone of frustration in his voice.

“Well, good morning to you too, sunshine.” Rose’s voice rang from the receiver. Dean chuckled.

“What’s new, Rose?” He asked, a gruffness in his voice from sleep. Rose sighed audibly from the other end.

“Dean, I don’t want you to be mad at me.” She prefaced, and Dean sat up, his brow furrowing. “I’ve been hiding something from you since you’ve been trapped.”

Dean fumed from the other end, pulling boxers onto his body and walking out of Cas’ bedroom, closing himself in Cas’ bathroom.

“What the hell do you mean you’ve been hiding something from me?” He whispered, an edge in his voice.

“Why are you whispering?” She asked, and a gasp of realization poured into his ear. “You slept with Castiel!” She hissed excitedly, and Dean groaned.

“What are you _hiding_?” He asked, and Rose settled her giggling down, a cough ending her obvious pleasure in setting the two up.

“I think it’d be better if I show you.” She said, and rattled off an address that Dean repeated in his head, even after he got off of the phone. He burst out of the bathroom, and walked straight into Cas’ half-covered body.

“Come back to bed,” he said sleepily, hands racing up Dean’s back, and Dean let him push him into the wall, watching Cas leave wet marks down his body as he kissed all over Dean.

“I have to go.” He said, painful longing dripping from his voice. Cas ignored him, kissing down his stomach, and Dean whined as he pulled Cas up to kiss him hard on the lips, an apology.

“Where are you going?” Cas asked, lips still against Dean’s, and Dean kept kissing him through his words.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Cas, I promise.” He said, and Cas sighed into him, his bare chest against Dean’s.

“You’d better.” He whispered, and Dean had to summon every ounce of self-restraint as he dressed himself and left, leaving a very enticing Castiel laying on the bed.

* * *

 

“Bad Wolf,” Sam said slowly, “is _Rose_?” The Doctor nodded, a solemn face, but he was bouncing around, stance shifting from foot to foot, and Sam knew deep down that this excited the time lord in a way that no one could ever truly understand.

“You’re saying we can get Dean back.” Cas said slowly, and Sam could hear the sound of hope that he thought Cas had lost a long time ago.

“Yes.” The Doctor said, a smile spreading across his face. And Cas hugged him.

* * *

 

“What the fuck _is_ this, Rose?” Dean said, looking around the room at the technological mess.

“I shouldn’t have hidden it from you, Dean.” She sighed, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Rose, tell me. Please.” He said, eyes darting back and forth from her eyes and the seemingly devastating technology behind her.

“It’s a dimension cannon.” She said, and Dean opened his mouth to respond, but she kept talking. “I started working on it with Torchwood before I even knew you existed. Practically as soon as I got here. I wanted to get back.” She dropped her arms to her sides and stepped back, waiting for him to respond. When he didn’t, she continued.

“I’ve made it back to the real world, well, the world where The Doctor exists. I watched him die- I-“ She paused, and Dean rushed forwards, hands on her face, calloused fingers stroking her face.

“Rose.” He said, plainly, and she blinked away the tears, and continued.

“I saw Donna. It was her alternate universe, if she hadn’t met The Doctor – if she hadn’t _saved_ The Doctor, from himself.” She said, and Dean nodded.

“Dean, something bad is happening. Something so dreadfully terrible that I was able to go from this world to another, several times, when before I couldn’t even make it an inch unless I walked it.” She took in a deep breath, watching as Dean’s eyes grew more horrified as he watched her talk. “We’re all in terrible danger, Dean.”

“What do you mean?” He wiped a wayward tear from her face.

“We’re all in danger of dying. Every single universe; every single dimension. Every single person, animal, and other-worldly species. All of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my parts with Sam and Cas are short but I feel like that's how it would be filmed, in my head at least, and honestly I needed the fluff of Dean and Fake Cas for me to make it through the rest of this fic.


	11. The Stolen Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Dean go back to their world, and The Doctor and Donna find Sam and Castiel to find Rose and Dean. But, before they can, something happens. The Earth is gone. What is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is so late. I'm so sorry this chapter is so long. I'm so sorry the next chapter is going to be just as long. I'm sorry.
> 
> Enjoy! xoxo

“So, are you ready?” Rose asked, wiping wayward tears from her face. Dean’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“Ready for what?”

“To go back.” She said, as if it were obvious. “To go _home_.” Dean hesitated. Was he ready to go back? Back to the apocalypse? Back to the lonely nights alone? Or worse, with girls who didn’t even know his name? To fighting fate? Fighting against heaven? Against hell? Against himself?

“I have to say goodbye to Cas.” He said flatly, and turned to leave. Rose grabbed his arm.

“Dean, we don’t have time.” She said, not unkindly, and Dean jerked away.

“I’ll make time.” He said, and watched as Rose’s jaw clenched. “Do you want me to just _leave_ him? No goodbye? Just abandon him? No trace of me ever hesitating to leave him?” He took in a deep breath before continuing. “What if I _never_ see him again? Would you just abandon your Doctor?” Her eyes snapped up at him, full of rage and angry tears.

“I’m leaving here in thirty minutes with or without you.” She said, turning from him. Dean ran, adrenaline replacing the air in his lungs as he raced towards Cas for the last time.

* * *

 

The four clambered into the the TARDIS, much to Sam’s joy. They strode over to the controls of the immaculate machinery before turning to the two men and asking what day it was.

“Saturday.” Sam said, a tilt of his head and a furrow of his brow. The Doctor decided not to elaborate, giving Sam a quick nod of his head before pushing seemingly random buttons and pulling levers.

Sam was transfixed as he watched The Doctor, in awe of the man’s confident movements, and the way he danced across the control panel of the TARDIS without a thought.

The Doctor noticed his staring, and glanced up at him, a little smile and a wink, eliciting a soft “huh” from the back of Sam’s throat.

The Doctor knew he was damn impressive.

Suddenly, the TARDIS began to shake. Cas knocked into Sam’s side, and he grabbed onto the man’s trench coat in a protective manner, holding onto the angel through what seemed to be nothing but turbulence.

“What the hell was that?” Donna screeched. So, not turbulence then, and not normal. Sam’s head snapped from Donna back to The Doctor.

“We haven’t taken off.” Cas said, and The Doctor pushed past the two men, pulling the doors wide open.

Space. Just space.

“Where’s the Earth?” Sam heard himself ask, peering over the timelord’s shoulder.

“What did you do?” Donna asked, and The Doctor pushed past them again, hands pulling a monitor close to his face, tracking their location.

“That’s impossible. We haven’t moved.” The Doctor’s voice sounded panicked and his pupils were blown wide. “We’re fixed.”

“What does that mean?” Sam’s voice sounded oddly far away, as if he was hovering over his own body. The Doctor ran past them again.

“The TARDIS is still in place but the Earth is gone.” Sam felt himself slump against Cas, suddenly dizzy. Cas placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “The entire planet,” The Doctor continued, “it’s gone!”

* * *

 

Dean made it back to Cas’ house in a blur, his mind focused simply on getting back to him. When he walked into the house, he half-expected the man to be in the living room, curled in his blanket with a cup of tea and book, waiting for Dean to return. He wasn’t there. He walked back to the bedroom, anticipating Cas to have left, never suspecting that Dean wouldn’t return to him later. Never suspecting Dean would be coming back to his house to say goodbye.

 _Goodbye_.

Dean didn’t want it to be goodbye. It was always goodbye with Cas. And always without the words. He had to make it _right_.

But Cas was in the bedroom, a blanket cast waywardly across his naked body, hair rustled, and eyes that said, “ _come hither, Dean_ ”.

He nearly bucked at the sight. This was so _Cas_. The way he had imagined Cas would be if everything was different.

And everything _was_ different in this world. This was the Cas he could be with.

“I have to go.” He found himself saying, but Cas just propped himself on his elbows and raised his elbows.

“Again?” Cas paused, and smiled before continuing. “Come to bed.” He dipped his head back, baring his neck. “I bet what I have in store for you could easily trump whatever you find so important outside of this room.” He slipped the blanket off of his body, and Dean’s mouth went dry, his eyes roaming shamelessly over Cas’ naked body.

“I’m from a different universe.” He said, arms outstretched, and Cas raised his eyebrows again.

“You sure are acting like it.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked over to the hunter, no shame or embarrassment as he flaunted his bared form. Dean felt Cas’ warm fingertips graze his jaw, and pulled the smaller man to him, lips crashing hard against the other man’s.

“I-“ Dean started, breathlessly, and pressed his forehead painfully against Cas’. “I’m sorry. I have to go.” He averted his eyes to the ground and walked away, purposefully ignoring Cas’ question of when he’d be back.

He didn’t know if he’d ever be back.

Dean’s heart and eyes burned as he walked his way back to Rose, anger brewing in his stomach for the guilt he had for wanting to stay. Why shouldn’t he be happy? He could be happy here, with Cas. And he still found himself next to Rose in no time at all, a gun strapped to his side, Rose’s hand in his.

“Ready?” Rose’s voice was calm, and full of pity. Dean felt his jaw clench in reflex. He gave a curt nod, and she started the countdown.

“Three…”

He could turn and run, he thought to himself.

“Two…”

Rose wouldn’t have time to react.

“One…”

He could go back to Cas, make love until he passed out-

“Now.”

Dean saw Cas’ face behind a mirror, his features wrenched up with hurt and confusion.

He lunged a half-step forward. “Cas!”

And then he was hurled away, an unfamiliar street, people rioting around him.

Cas’ face was still etched in his memory as Rose beckoned him to walk with her.

* * *

 

“If the Earth’s been moved, they’ve lost the sun! What about my mum? What about Grand-dad?” Donna said, her heartbeat beating a rhythm through her body. “Are they dead? Are they?”

“I dunno, Donna. I’m sorry. I just dunno, Donna.” The moon-man looked dreadfully sympathetic, even though his eyes were wracked with panic.

“What about Dean, then?” The angel inched towards Donna, and she let herself curl towards him, but the man didn’t move to hold her, and felt incredibly cold to the touch. She locked eyes with the tall man still standing by the door whose lips were pursed tight, white lines on his now paled face. She drifted to him instead. His arms wrapped around her, a comfortable suffocation.

“My family. My whole world.” Her voice wobbled into his chest, and she felt Sam nod, his grip viselike around her. As he began to speak, his grip loosened.

“You’ve got us now. We’re family. We’ll help. The Doctor will help.” Sam’s voice soothed into her ear, and she nodded as she listened to Castiel scream at The Doctor, who was babbling away about the technology of it all. Typical.

“So what do we do?!” Castiel screamed, and Donna’s eyes snapped up to the flickering lights.

“We’ve got to get to the Shadow Proclamation.”

The TARDIS whirred up.

“Hold tight.”

And Donna did.

* * *

 

The rioters in the street didn’t bode well with Rose, but she kept walking, Dean silent by her side. She understood Dean’s silence, understood too well, and as much as she wanted to pull Dean aside, it wasn’t the time nor place for a heart-to-heart, even though the his voice shouting Cas’ name still echoed in her mind, too familiar, too sharp with the pain she’d felt when she cried the same way for her Doctor.

So they marched forward in mutual understandable silence.

There was a shatter of glass, and a ringing of alarms, and the man beside her turned and doubled back, running towards the source of the sounds. Rose followed, and they stood in the store where two men were looting.

“Hey!” Dean shouted, and the men didn’t even both to give him a glance.

“Right!” She shouted, “You two! You can put that stuff down, or run for your lives.” The men were definitely paying attention now. She cocked the weapon in her hands as a final warning. “Do you like my gun?” They scrambled away, the electronics discarded across the floor. Dean looked at her now with a new sense of pride. Rose put her gun back to safety.

“Nice.” He said, and she raced over to a computer. The blue screen flashed red, and she felt a sense of dread as she looked at it.

“What does it mean?” Dean asked, and then the familiar robotic voice burst from the speakers.

“Exterminate! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!” She grabbed Dean’s hand and dragged him from the store, just in time for a spaceship to hover right overhead. Dean was shouting for answers now, but she kept her poker face on, walking forward, even when she heard the explosion sound off behind her.

“Daleks.” She said, when Dean realized she had more sense than he did and finally walked her pace.

“They’re extinct.” Dean said, and Rose coughed out a dry laugh.

“Apparently not.”

* * *

 

Somewhere before Donna’s nose slammed against the hard muscle of Sam’s chest, and after the TARDIS started, The Doctor had summoned the three to the controls to help him steer.

“So what is the Shadow Proclamation?” Sam asked, a rekindled sparkle in his eye.

“Outer space police!” The Doctor shouted over the noise, and instructed Donna to push in a lever. This was the first time he ever included her in something of this nature, and she felt her heartbeat quicken at the realization of the dire emergency that this situation truly was. Donna pushed the lever, sending the four toppling as the TARDIS spun into space and landing, The Doctor somehow managing from keeping it from crashing.

The Doctor walked to the door, slipping his overcoat on, and opened it slowly, slipping out, followed by Donna, then Sam, and then Castiel.

They were surrounded. By rhino-looking things, no less. They were armed, except the one who stood in front, their commander, Donna assumed. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched The Doctor put his arms up. She followed suit, as did Sam, but Castiel stood defiantly, chin up and chest out.

Donna wanted to punch him.

The rhino-thing started talking in its native language, and The Doctor responded, quickly and calmly, and the rhino-things put their weapons down.

“ _Mahoe_.” Donna heard The Doctor say, and they were escorted to another room.

The Judoon, The Doctor called them, introduced the timelord as such to a pale, thin woman, red eyes large on her pale face. She saw Sam bristle at her side, immediately knowing his distrust.

“Timelords are the stuff of legends!” She said, smiling at them. “You cannot possibly exist.”

“Yeah.” The Doctor said, and shifted impatiently. “More to the point, I’ve got a missing planet.”

Right to the point, then.

“Then you’re not as wise as the stories say. The whole universe is in chaos; _Twenty-four_ planets are missing from the sky.” Donna looked at The Doctor, watching his face turn incredulous.

He rushed forwards. “Which ones? Show me!” He said, in a child-like manner. He pulled his glasses from his pocket as he followed her to her computer, looking very interested in what she was showing him.

“They all disappeared at the same moment, with no trace of where they’ve gone at all.” The Doctor rambled off the names that were supposedly blinking on the screen.

“All unconnected.” The woman said, and Donna felt a surge of confidence flow through her.

“What about Provillia?” She asked, and the woman turned towards her, a look in her red eyes matching Sam’s.

“Who is the female?” She asked, her voice sickly sweet, not matching the look on her face. Donna felt rage forming in her stomach.

“Donna. I’m a human _being_. Maybe not the stuff of legends, but every bit as important as timelords, thank you.” She felt a raised sense of pride growing inside of her as the woman’s face was wiped with shock, and looked at The Doctor, who was smiling proudly at her. She fought the urge to smile back, and continued her reason. “Way back when we were in Pompeii, they said Provillia was missing.”

A gruff voice sounded off behind her, and she turned to see the Judoon commander inching toward her. “Provillia is a cold case. It’s been missing for 2,000 years.”

“Yes, yes.” Donna said, feeling cocky now that she had the attention of that dreadful alien woman. “Hang on, yes, but there’s the Adipose breeding planet too. They said it was lost, but that must have been a long time ago.” The Doctor was eyeing her curiously now. It was quiet for a moment, and then-

“That’s it!” The Doctor said, arms raised high up in the air. “Donna, that’s brilliant!” Donna found herself smiling back now, and the spaceman continued. “Planets have been taken out of time as _well_ as space!” He fiddled on the woman’s computer, and Donna glanced over at the men beside her, both with shocked expressions on their faces. Looks like she’d impressed everyone, then.

Holographic planets formed around them, and The Doctor was studying them intently. They swirled around in a dizzying fashion, and the timelord stood in the middle as they slowed, looking up.

“What did you do?” The woman asked, and The Doctor made a face.

“Nothing. They rearranged themselves.”

“Oi, don’t get all spaceman, what does it _mean_?” Donna asked, and she watched the man’s lips turn upwards.

“All of these planets fit together like pieces of an engine.” The Doctor said, and stood by her side, now. “A powerhouse. But what for?”

“Who could design such a thing?” The woman asked, and The Doctor wore a strange expression on his face.

“Someone tried to move the Earth once before.” He said, “a long time ago.” Donna felt a new shot of dread strike through her. “But it couldn’t be.”

Donna walked over to the stairs, her heartbeat ringing through her head, suddenly exhausted. The Doctor went over to the computer again, and Sam and Castiel sat on either side of her, as if they knew exactly how she was feeling.

“What happened before you came here?” Cas’ low voice erupted through her thoughts. She looked up at him, noting his confused expression.

“You can sense it too.” The beetle on her back. The other dimension. Rose Tyler. It all washed over her in a wave of nausea. He placed two fingers on her forehead, and she immediately felt her discomfort melt away.

“Angel mojo.” She said, and Cas gave her a rare smile.

“You remind me of Dean.” He said, looking away, and Donna’s lip quirked up.

“A total wanker then.” She joked, and Sam laughed beside her. Castiel must have understood her sarcasm as well, then, because his smile didn’t fade. The Doctor’s voice bounded at them from across the room.

“Come on, you three, there has to be something that’s been going on down on Earth, something strange? Electrical storms, freak rains?”

“How should I know?” Donna asked, and Sam and Castiel both shook their head at him.

“Okay, nevermind.” The Doctor said, discouraged, and Donna spoke up again.

“Well, there were the bees disappearing.” She said, and The Doctor looked at her with obvious annoyance in his features.

“The bees disappearing?” Donna shrugged. And then The Doctor’s features changed, into something more hopeful, more excited. “The bees disappearing!”

“What does that have to do with anything? We thought it was global warming, or pollution.”

“Not all bees are the insects that you’re familiar with.” Castiel said beside her. “It’s quite interesting, most of them are actually from a different planet.”

“Alien bees?” Sam said, scoffing, and Donna ran over to The Doctor, who was quickly typing away on the computer.

“They sensed some kind of danger and escaped!” The Doctor said, “and if we follow their trail we can find the Earth!” Donna was already running back to the TARDIS, the three men quickly running behind her. The Doctor rushed into the TARDIS, quickly programming something in his computer, and rushed back out, shouting at the Shadow Proclamation that he had a blip.

Donna heard from the inside of the TARDIS the woman’s voice, angry, saying she was to seize his transportation.

“I’ll go get the keys, then.” The Doctor said, and then they were off, surely angering the Shadow Proclamation to the fullest.

* * *

 

“This is much worse than I thought, Dean.” Rose said, finally, their silence broken as they took another turn down a different road, people rushing past them in the opposite direction.

“What is going on?” Dean said, and Rose cocked her gun.

“Let’s go find out.” She said, and they both ran behind the coverage of the parked cars on the side of the road. The robotic voice from the computer store sounded through the air, and Dean watched as Rose’s movements tensed. They ducked behind a car and Dean looked at the robotic-looking aliens order people to leave their homes.

“Re-SIST-ance… is…USE-less!” One said, and a family approached it. Rose started chanting “no” softly under her breath, and Dean felt the panic and fear soak deep inside of him.

“Where are you taking us?” The father asked, his wife and children snuggled close beside him.

“DA-leks do not an-swer HU-man ques-TIONS! Stand… in… line!” It rolled towards them, and Dean spotted a man and a woman hiding beside a wall on the opposite side of the street. The woman was shouting into the old man’s ear, and then Dean saw the weapon in the man’s hands. A paintball gun.

“Oh, Christ.” He muttered, and then the father of the family that approached the Dalek started to stand up for the rest of the people. Dean readied himself to move forward, and then the man threw a brick at the Dalek, successfully hitting the thing in the head.

“DA-lek attack form-ation SE-ven!” The man ran inside of his home with his family, and the Daleks lined up outside of it. “MAX-I-MUM EX-TER-MIN-A-TION!” Blue light exploded from the plunger-looking things on the front of the robotic aliens, and Dean shouted, firmly pulled back by Rose.

Dean watched as the older man and the woman ran, and pulled Rose with him, running towards them. He couldn’t let them be killed, and Rose seemed to know how important saving them was.

They watched from behind a Dalek, who was approaching the two, as the older man shot the thing in it’s supposed eyeball.

“My vis-ion is not im-PAIRED!” The thing said, and then spouted again, “EX-TER-MIN-ATE! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!”

Rose shot at it.

It exploded, and Dean punched the air, side-hugging the woman beside him in triumph.

“You’re Donna’s family.” Rose said, approaching the two people. Dean gaped at her.

“What?”

“Yes. Do you want to trade?” The old man nodded towards his gun, and Rose continued forward.

“We need your help.” They ran back to Donna’s family’s house, questions silently forming in all of their heads as they dodged the attention of the Daleks.

“We’ve tried getting a hold of her, but she won’t reply.” Donna’s grandfather said, as they were safe in their home, and Dean thought of Sam, and of Cas. Were they dead?

“She’s still with The Doctor, I know that much. The last time she phoned, she was on a planet of diamonds.”

“What the hell are you on about?” Donna’s mom said, approaching with cups of tea.

“Your daughter is out there, travelling the stars with that Doctor, she always has been!” He confessed, and rage exploded in the woman’s eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She said, and the older man exploded.

“Come on, open your eyes! Look at the skies! Look at the daleks! You can’t start denying things now!”

“You’re my last hope,” Rose’s voice said softly, and the two looked over at her with sadness. “If I can’t find Donna, I can’t find The Doctor. “Where is he?”

* * *

 

The four travelers slumped over the controls of the TARDIS as it came to a halt, and The Doctor slowly looked at the screen in front of him.

“We’ve stopped.” He said, and Sam huffed an exhausted breath.

“Where?” He asked, rubbing his eyes, and Cas made a move to come at him with his angel mojo. He shook his head. “Save it.” He whispered as The Doctor cleared his throat. Cas nodded and turned his attention to the timelord.

“The Medusa Cascade.” The Doctor looked like all the life had drained from him. He leaned against the wall of the TARDIS, closing his eyes.

“When I came here, I was just a kid. Ninety years old. It was the center of our rift in time and space.”

“So,” Donna said, turning to him. “Where are the twenty-seven planets?”

“Nowhere. End of the line.”

“Well, what do we do?” Donna said, now, and Sam walked beside her, anchoring her to the ground. She pushed back at the timelord.

“Don’t you do this to me! Don’t do this to us. You always have a plan! Tell me what we’re going to do!” Her voice began to wobble, and The Doctor said nothing, all fight drained from him. “You never give up! Please!” She said, and sobbed against Sam as The Doctor gave no sign of answering her.

* * *

 

Donna’s mom and grandfather, or as they’d demanded the two call them, Sylvia and Wilf, had collapsed on the couch, Wilf holding a sobbing Sylvia in his arms, hushing her.

Rose had commandeered the computer, and listened as the daleks continued to threaten them with their imminent deaths, and Dean wanted nothing more than to smash the technology to pieces. He and Rose had left them to cope with the news they had heard, and were sitting in the adjacent room, holding each other, until a beeping, static noise came over top of the voice of the dalek’s. A woman’s voice began to sound through the static.

“I know that voice.” Rose said, and walked into the room, a face peering through the flickering snowfall of the static on the computer.

“This message is of the utmost importance. We haven't much time. Can anyone hear me?” Rose sat in front of the computer, and Dean leaned over her, making out a female form in the midst of the remaining static.

“Captain Jack Harkness, shame on you. Now stand to attention, sir. Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister.”

“Harriet! It’s me! It’s me!” Rose shouted at the computer screen, frantically. Dean stood confused. “Oh, she can’t hear me. Have you got a webcam?” She and Dean turned to Wilf and Sylvia.

“No, she wouldn’t let me.” Wilf said, pointing at Sylvia. “She said they’re naughty.”

Dean laughed. “Oh, yes, yes they are.” Rose shot him a look.

“Well, I can’t speak to her then, can I?”

“Sarah Jane Smith, 13 Bannerman Road. Are you there?” Harriet said, and though they couldn’t hear a reply, Harriet continued, “Good, now let’s see if we can talk to each other.” She tapped into the keyboard, and suddenly, the screen split into four, the bottom left blank. “The fourth contact seems to be having trouble getting through.”

“That’s me! Harriet, that’s me!” Rose shouted. Dean put his hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll just boost the signal.” Harriet tapped her fingers on the keyboard again and the fourth screen flickered to life, a beautiful girl looking tremendously stressed out looking back at them.

“Hello?” The girl said, and the man at the top of the screen shouted, “Martha Jones!”

“Who’s she?! I want to get through!” Rose cried, and Dean squeezed her shoulder, trying his best to comfort her.

“Martha, where are you?” The man asked.

“I guess Project Indigo was more clever than we thought. One second I was in Manhattan, next I was the one place I wanted to be. And then the laptop seemed to turn itself on.”

“That was me. Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister.” Harriet said, once again, and Dean chuckled.

“I know who you are.” Martha said. The conversation went on like that, introducing the people in the screens as Captain Jack Harkness and Sarah Jane Smith, and her son.

“Martha Jones, former companion to The Doctor.” Harriet Jones said, and Rose shouted.

“Oi! So was I!”

 “I’ve been trying to find him, The Doctor’s got my phone on the TARDIS, but I can’t get through.” Martha said, and Rose replied, despite not being able to be heard.

“Nor me, and I was here first.”

“That’s why we need the subwave, we bring us all together, combine forces, The Doctor’s secret army.” Harriet said.

“Wait a minute. We boost the signal, that’s it. We transmit that telephone number through Torchwood itself, using all the power of the Rift.” Captain Jack said, and Dean felt a flare of anger.

“Use the power of the _Rift_?” Dean said, and Rose hushed him. So, this is who helped her with her dimension cannon. People that could have saved them.

“S’cuse me, sorry, hello, Ianto Jones. Um, if we start transmitting, then the subwave network is going to become visible, to the daleks.”

“Yes, and they’ll trace it back to me, but my life doesn’t matter. Not if it saves the Earth.” Harriet said, and Captain Jack saluted.

“Marvelous woman. I voted for her.” Wilf said.

“You did not!” Sylvia replied hastily. Harriet began tapping away at her keyboard, and so did Captain Jack.

“Rift power activated!” He cried.

“Sending the number, now!” Martha said, on her phone. Harriet continued typing frantically.

“Opening subwave network to maximum.”

“Calling for Doctor.” A voice from Sarah Jane’s screen said.

“So am I,” Rose said, began calling. Dean crossed his fingers.

* * *

 

“Phone! The phone!” The Doctor cried, sudden life springing into his body as he grabbed it and flipped it open. “Martha, is that you? There’s no signal.”

“Can we follow it?” Donna asked, and The Doctor sprang into action.

“You just watch me.” He said.

* * *

 

“Find me, Doctor, find me.” Rose whispered, and Dean felt his heart break for her. The daleks had locked in on Harriet’s location, and Dean turned Rose away from the screen, holding her as he watched Harriet’s screen go dead.

And nearly minutes later, it flickered back on, Donna, Sam, Cas, and The Doctor all looking in on them.

“Sammy! Cas!”

“Doctor!”

“That’s Donna!”

“That’s my girl!”

“That’s Martha.” Donna was saying, and she pointed at the screen. “And who’s he?”

“Captain Jack, don’t just don’t. Don’t.” The Doctor said, and Donna scowled.

“Doctor, it’s me. I came back.” Rose whispered. The Doctor looked at the screens, looking disappointed.

“He’s looking for you.” Dean said.

“It’s like an outer-space Facebook.” Donna said, and The Doctor frowned.

“Everyone except Rose.” The timelord said, and Dean watched Rose’s face fall. Donna’s too.

And then his screen went dark.

“Doctor!” Rose cried, and after a minute of staring at the black screen where The Doctor was, she left the room, pulling out her phone.

* * *

 

“Welcome to my new empire, Doctor. It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, lord and creator of the Dalek race.” The Doctor’s eyes were completely transfixed to the screen, wide with fear.

“Doctor?” Donna’s voice penetrated through the deafening silence of the room.

“Have you nothing to say?” The creature The Doctor called Davros said.

“Doctor, it’s alright. We’re here, in the TARDIS. We’re safe.” Donna said, and yet, she didn’t sound sure of herself either.

“But you were destroyed! In the very first year of the Time War, at the Gates of Elysium! I saw your command ship fly into the jaws of the Nightmare Child! I tried to save you.”

“I flew into the wild and fire, I danced and died a thousand times!” This dalek sounded different, robotic voice shrill and crazed.

“Emergency temporal shift took him back into the Time War itself.” Davros said.

“That’s impossible, the entire war was time-locked!”

“And yet he succeeded. Oh, it cost him his mind, but imagine. A single, simple dalek succeeded where emperors and timelords have failed.”

“And you made a new race of daleks.” The Doctor said.

“I gave myself to them. Quite literally. Each one grown from a cell of my own body.” Davros opened the clasps of his leather overall to reveal his ribs. There was little flesh left, a beating heart seen past his ribs. “New daleks. True daleks. I have my children, Doctor. What do you have, now?”

“After all this time, everything we saw, everything we lost, I have only one thing to say to you. Bye!” The Doctor said, and pushed a lever on the TARDIS, sending it flying towards the Earth.

* * *

 

“I need mothership, lock me onto the TARDIS. Now.” Rose said, into her phone, and then turned her phone off, turning back to Dean, Wilf, and Sylvia.

“Right, we’re gonna find him. Wish us luck! Dean?” She beckoned him.

“Good luck.” Sylvia said.

“Yeah, good luck you two.” Rose smiled at them, and Dean shook their hands, and was pulled away by Rose, and a blinding light burst as it took them away.

* * *

 

“It’s like a ghost town.” Donna said, looking at the deserted street outside of the TARDIS. Abandoned cars and trash lined the streets, and not a single person besides the four of them were around.

“Donna, when you met Rose in that parallel world, what did she say?” The Doctor asked. Donna blinked up at him.

“Just that the darkness was coming.” She replied.

“Anything else?” He asked, and over his shoulder, she saw Rose, standing next to Dean. She smiled softly and looked back at The Doctor.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“Dean!” Cas screamed, seeing the two before The Doctor could register Donna’s words in his head, and then turned around. Rose was walking towards him, and stopped, smiling at the timelord. A few feet back, Cas had already flown he and Sam over to where Dean was, all three on the ground, silently holding each other. Rose started to run towards them. Donna felt herself smile, looking at the reunited people around her.

Suddenly, Rose stopped.

“EX-TER-MIN-ATE!” The Dalek turned the corner, and Donna’s body reacted before her mind, screaming, run, RUN, RUN! The dalek fired at the timelord, hitting his shoulder. He fell to the ground, and Donna gasped, breathlessly running forward.

* * *

 

Rose watched helplessly as her Doctor was shot at by the dalek, and though it wasn’t a full-on hit, it was enough to send him to the ground, curled up in pain. Rose threw away her gun and ran to him, watching as Captain Jack showed up out of nowhere just in time to blow the dalek up. She fell to her knees once she reached The Doctor, cradling his head as he tried to cling onto consciousness.

“I’ve got you, it missed you, look! It’s me, Doctor.” She babbled, and smiled through her tears.

“Rose…” He answered weakly.

“Hi.”

“Long time, no see.” He tried to smile, but it came off as a grimace. Rose smiled back harder anyway.

“Yeah. Been busy, y’know.” The Doctor groaned in pain. “Don’t die! Oh, my god, don’t die.” Donna and Captain Jack ran over, and fell at her side, both as concerned as she was.

“Get him into the TARDIS! Quick! Move!” Jack was saying, and he picked up Rose’s gun as Donna and she half-dragged, half-carried The Doctor into the TARDIS. Sam and Dean weren’t far behind with Cas’ almost lifeless body.

“He’s used up his mojo, flying over.” Dean said, and Rose felt the guilt in his voice. The same guilt she had from distracting The Doctor by running to him.

The TARDIS was full, The Doctor and Cas laying side-by-side, the two most fearful of them all, the strongest of them all, unconscious.

“What do we do?” Donna asked, her eyes watery. “There must be something!”

“Just step back, Rose. Do as I say, and get back. He’s dying, and you know what happens next!”

“He can’t!”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked. The Doctor grimaced in pain.

“No, I came all this way!” Rose cried.

“What happens next?” Donna asked Jack. All eyes rested on The Doctor, who raised his hand. It glowed gold.

“It’s starting.” The Doctor said, voice full of pain.

“Will someone tell us what’s going on?!” Donna screamed.

“When he’s dying his body, it repairs itself, it changes. But you can’t!” Her voice was filled with distraught.

“I’m sorry, it’s too late. I’m regenerating!” The Doctor said, and he stood forward, his hands and head exploding into golden light. Rose covered her eyes.


	12. Journey's End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Donna get locked inside of the TARDIS as the rest face Davros and Dalek Caan. Will they ever be reunited? And what's up with the severed hand...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long! Enjoy!! XOX

Golden light exploded from The Doctor’s hands, head and feet, so bright that Sam and the rest of the companions in the TARDIS had to look away. Dean had dragged Cas into safe territory, shielding the angel’s unconscious body from whatever power the light potentially contained.

Dean wasn’t even concerned with The Doctor right now; his eyes were furiously intent on Cas’ motionless body. Sam couldn’t count the times this had happened before, Dean hovering over a harmed Cas, but this time something was different. He wasn’t mad at Cas this time. He could almost hear his brother’s internalized guilt, it was so evident.

Sam didn’t have time to dwell on this, though, because now The Doctor seemed to be directing the golden light towards a jar in the TARDIS. The light enveloped the jar in entirety, and after a few seconds, The Doctor stumbled back, unchanged. He leaned against a beam, for support, and gasped for air as his companions started at him in utter shock.

“Now then… where were we?” He said, still gasping. He raced past Jack, holding a confused Donna and an even more confused blonde woman Sam determined was Rose. The Doctor sank to his knees in front of the jar he’d shot his light into, which Sam instantly  noted had a floating hand submerged in it.

“There, now.” He whispered, and blew onto the jar, settling the glowing, bubbling thing into darkness. The Doctor sat up, and continued. “You see? I used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as I was done, I didn’t need to change. I didn’t want to, why would I?” He adjusted his tie with a smug look on his face. “Look at me! So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle, namely, my hand, my hand there, my handy spare hand!”

_That was his hand? But-_

The Doctor stood up and started speaking directly to Rose.

“Remember, Christmas day, Sycorax, lost my hand in a sword fight? That’s my hand. What d’you think?” The Doctor looked unsure of himself, insecure even, for the first time as Rose took a step towards him.

“You’re still… you?” Rose asked, a wary tone in her voice.

“I’m still me.” The Doctor replied, a small smile for Rose. She smiled back at him, emotion flooding her eyes. And then she surged forward and hugged him, and he gripped her tight right back, relief wiping away the lines on his face.

Donna’s voice spoke up. “You can hug me if you want!” She said to Jack, who just laughed. She continued, “no really, you can hug me.” Jack looked away, awkwardly, and Donna focused now on Sam. “Or-“ She started, shrugging, and Sam walked forward to pull her into a hug. Almost instantly, the lights went out. The Doctor pulled away from Rose and started fiddling with the controls.

“They’ve got us!” The Doctor said, and continued to flick switches as he made his way around the console. “We’ve lost power… it’s some kind of chronon loop!” The TARDIS jerked forward, sending everyone to the ground.

They were being flown away by the Daleks.

“There’s a massive Dalek ship at the center of the planets. They’re calling it the Crucible. I guess that’s our destination.” Jack said, and Donna interrupted.

“You said these planets were like an engine, but what for?” Sam heard his brother murmuring, and looked over to see Cas waking up. He was clutching onto Dean’s shirt, and Dean was smiling, talking to him about what was happening. All Cas kept repeating what “is it you, is it you, is it you”, a frantic expression in his eyes. Sam turned away, feeling as if he were spying on something private.

“-and the dimensions started to collapse. All of them, everywhere. Even the Void was dead. Something is destroying everything.” Rose finished.

“In that parallel world, you said something about me.” Donna said, and Rose faced her.

“The Dimension Canon could measure timelines, and it’s – it’s weird, Donna, but they all converged on you.” Rose said, and Sam huffed. She had a point. The Doctor could have shown up with any companion in his 900 years, and he showed up with Donna.

“But why me? I’m just a temp! From Chiswick!” A beep sounded from the monitor.

“We’re all aboard the Crucible.” The Doctor said, no amusement in his voice.

“Doc-TOR.” A Dalek voice boomed from outside of the TARDIS doors. “You will step forth or die.”

“We have to go out,” The Doctor said, facing the doors of the TARDIS, “’cos if we don’t, they’ll come in.”

“You told me nothing could get past these doors.” Rose said.

“Without power, the TARDIS doors are just… wood.” The Doctor said, facing his companions now. “All of us together, yeah?” Sam turned to help Dean lift Cas. There was no way they could leave him behind.

“It’s been good, though hasn’t it? Everything we did, all of us.” The Doctor said. “You were all brilliant.” Sam and Dean lifted Cas' nearly dead weight. They followed The Doctor, Rose, and Jack out of the TARDIS before Sam realized that Donna noted Donna’s absence.

“Dean, do you got him? I think Donna’s still inside.” Dean nodded, and grabbed Cas around the side, letting Sam run back in to the TARDIS.

Donna was standing there, motionlessly, staring at The Doctor’s severed hand.

“Donna?” He said, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Started, she turned around, a hand on her chest. He saw The Doctor’s face before the doors of the TARDIS slammed shut.

* * *

When Dean heard the TARDIS doors shut, he paid no attention, thinking his brother had gotten Donna out safely – that nothing else bad could happen to them all at this point. Even though Cas was conscious again, (thank God, that bastard), he couldn’t stand alone, so Dean was holding all of the angel’s weight. It wasn’t until he heard banging and shouting from his brother that he realized the TARDIS doors had shut on them, locking them inside, and successfully separating the brothers – again.

Dean stood paralyzed to the spot, the only thing anchoring him into reality being Cas, whose grip on Dean’s shirt tightened significantly, as if he thought choking Dean was the only way to keep him from flying off the deep end. In a way, he was right. His grip on Cas had loosened, and he adjusted, holding Cas closer to him, and received a breathless hum from Cas in response. He watched The Doctor run to the TARDIS, and listened as the time lord talked Sam out of beating the TARDIS to smithereens.

“I did that to the shack after you left, smashed it to splinters.” Cas mumbled, words slurred. Dean shushed him, his heart growing heavy with guilt.

“What did you do?” The Doctor screamed, turning to the Daleks.

“This is not of DA-lek or-i-GIN.” The Daleks replied, and The Doctor looked ready to kill.

“Stop it! They’re my friends, now open the door and let them out!”

“This is a time lord TREA-cher-Y!”

“Me?” The Doctor cried, incredulous at the accusation. “The doors closed on their own!”

“Never-the-less, the TAR-dis is a wea-pon and will be de-STROYED.”

Before Dean had time to digest the meaning of those words, a trap-door opened underneath the TARDIS, swallowing it whole.

Dean felt the bile creep up his throat, and immediately collapsed to the ground, Cas falling unceremoniously on top of him, a soft “umph” from the angel’s mouth.

Dean watched in blurry slow-motion as The Doctor surged towards the Daleks, his words a slurred presence in the midst of his inner chanting of “Sam… Sam… Sam-“

“ _Sam_!”

* * *

 

They’d been locked inside of the TARDIS, she and Sam, and all because of the damn heartbeat she swore she heard coming from The Doctor’s severed hand. And now, they were falling, bloody _falling_ , to their death. She wanted to scream, but no sounds were coming out of her opened mouth. Sam, who’d fallen over and slid across the TARDIS floor, was doing everything in his power to make his way back over to Donna. Sparks and flames obscured her vision, and suddenly, they hit something solid – ground? Safety?

Sam pulled himself to her, his arms folding around her, covering her mouth and nose from the cloud of smoke that was dangerously thick. Her eyes watered as they met The Doctor’s severed hand again, the jar bubbling and lighting up as it had before, when The Doctor had focused all of his energy into it. Without reason, she pushed past Sam and touched the bubbling jar, ignoring his pleas for her to get away from it.

The jar started to glow gold, and the light traveled up her body. She was scared, so, so scared, and before she could scream, she watched the jar holding The Doctor’s severed hand explode.

She flew back into Sam, knocking him over and landing hard on his stomach. They both sat up, Sam clutching his side, and looked at The Doctor’s glowing hand, which started to twitch on the floor.

Suddenly, the golden light spread from the hand, forming a human-like body. With a jolt, a man – The _Doctor_ – sat up in front of them, butt-naked.

“It’s you!” Donna said.

“Oh, yes.” The New Doctor replied.

“You’re naked!” said Sam.

“Oh, yes.” Replied The New Doctor. He pulled himself up, and fiddled with the console of the TARDIS. They were flying again.

To _safety_.

* * *

 

Rose watched Dean crumble to pieces, sobbing as Cas shifted to face him, pulling him into an embrace, and clutched her Doctor’s hand. The Supreme Dalek had just forced them to watch the deaths of Sam and Donna, and neither man, woman, angel, nor time lord was okay.

“The TAR-dis has been DES-troyed. Now, tell me, DOC-tor. What do you feel? AN-ger? SOR-row? Des-PAIR?” The Supreme Dalek taunted, sounding ever vicious even through its monotone, robotic voice.

“Yeah,” The Doctor said, clearly upset and at a loss for words.

“Then if e-MO-tions are so im-POR-tant, sure-ly we have EN-hanced you?” Rose’s insides flared with an angry heat. Jack turned to the Supreme Dalek, pulling his hand gun out and aiming it right at him.

“Yeah?! Feel this!” He said, and shot it, unsuccessfully harming it.

“Ex-TER-min-ATE!” The Supreme Dalek cried, and shot its death ray at Jack. Jack’s body flared in a furious blue light, his skeleton deathly white as it flared hot against the blue. He crumpled to the ground, dead, and Rose fell to her knees beside him, screaming.

“Jack! No! Oh, my God, no!” She shook him, his dead body unresponsive. The Doctor dropped to his knees beside her.

“Rose,” he whispered. “Come here, leave him.”

“They’ve killed him.” She replied, tears blurring her vision.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Es-cort them to the Vault.” The Supreme Dalek said.

“There’s nothing we can do now,” The Doctor whispered in her ear, helping her up. She let him. Dean and Cas leaned on each other as they were escorted away.

“They are the play-things of Dav-ros now.” The Supreme Dalek said, and Rose and The Doctor were led away, darkness surrounding them.

* * *

 

Sam and Donna sat back and watched The New Doctor inspect the walls of the TARDIS. He had found a blue suit, (much to the relief of himself and Donna), and had dressed himself.

“All repaired! Lovely!” He said, exuberant as he’d seen The Actual Doctor. He motioned to his suit as he walked around the TARDIS in circles. “I like blue, what d’you think?”

“You. Are. Bonkers!” Donna said to him.

“Why? What’s wrong with blue?”

“Is that what time lords do? Lop off a bit and grow another one? You’re like worms!” Donna said, and Sam stifled a laugh beside her.

“No, no, no, no, no, no.” The New Doctor said. “I’m unique. Never been another like me. All that regeneration energy went into my hand! Look at my hand! Love that hand. But then you touched it, WHAM!” Donna and Sam jumped back, startled. “Shh, instantaneous biological meta-crisis. I grew…” he made a face. “…out of you. Still, could be worse.”

“Oi! Watch it, spaceman!” Donna said.

“Oi! Watch it, earthgirl!” The New Doctor shot back, sounding eerily like Donna. Donna and The New Doctor’s mouths both dropped in shock. Sam couldn’t retain it anymore, and started laughing.

“You’ve taken on her personality!” He said between bouts of laughter.

“I sound like you,” The New Doctor agreed. “All sort of… rough.”

“Oi!”

“Oi!”

“Oi!”

Sam couldn’t stop laughing.

“Oh, you’re kidding.” The New Doctor said, touching his chest. “I’ve only got one heart -- this body’s only got one heart!”

“What, you mean, you’re human?” Donna and Sam said simultaneously, and Donna reached forward to touch The New Doctor’s chest.

“Oh, that’s disgusting.” The New Doctor said.

“Oi!”

“ _Oi!_ ”

“Stop it!” Donna shouted, slapping a laughing Sam in the arm.

“No, wait.” The New Doctor said. “I’m part time lord, part human.” All three of them stood there, mouths agape, gobsmacked.

“I kept hearing that heartbeat…” Donna said. The New Doctor nodded.

“Oh, that was me.” He walked over to the console. “My single heart, ‘cos I’m a complicated event in time and space. Must have rippled back, converging on you.” He fiddled with dials.

“But why me?” Donna asked, again.

“’Cos you’re special.” The New Doctor said, as if it were obvious.

“I keep telling you, I’m not!” Donna replied, voice shaky with emotion.

“No, but you are.” The New Doctor squinted at her, then his eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, you really don’t believe that, do you? I can see, Donna… what you’re thinking. All that attitude -- all that lip, ‘cos all this time… you think you’re not worth it.”

“Stop it.” Donna said, and Sam heard in her voice that what The New Doctor was saying was true. Donna didn’t think she was worth it.

“Shouting at the world, ‘cos no one’s listening! Well, why should they?”

“Doctor. Stop it.” She was verging on tears.

“But look at what you did!” He said proudly, and paused for a quick moment. “No, it’s more like… we were always heading for this. You came to the TARDIS, and you found me again. Your granddad… your car… Donna, your car, you – you parked your car right where the TARDIS was gonna land, and that’s not coincidence at all. We’ve been blind. Something’s been drawing us together for such a long time!”

“But you’re talking destiny,” Donna said, and Sam huffed. Destiny, fate, what he and Dean had been fighting against, and now this, in front of him, something beautiful coming to fruition because of it. “There’s no such thing is there?”

“It’s still not finished. It’s like, the pattern’s not complete. The strands are still drawing together, but heading for what?”

* * *

 

“Activate the holding cells.” Davros said, his voice a wobbly technological sound.

The Doctor and Rose stood several feet from each other, prisons looking like spotlights overtop of them. Dean and Cas stood across from them, under a single spotlight, not being able to be torn away from each other. It seemed as if Cas still had some angel mojo in it yet. Davros rolled towards The Doctor, his corpse like torso on top of a Dalek machine body. His eyes looked like they were burned out, beady centers nearly unseen because of the charred flesh around them. His third eye shone blue on the center of his forehead.

“Excellent. Even when powerless, a time lord is best contained.” Davros said, stopping next to The Doctor’s holding cell.

“Still scared of me, then?” The Doctor reached out and touched the edge of the light, and the cell rippled with blue light.

“It is time we talked, Doctor. After so very long.”

“No, no, no, no, no. We’re not doing the nostalgia tour. I wanna know what’s happening, right here, right now, ‘cos the Supreme Dalek said ‘Vault’, yeah?” The Doctor looked around. “As in dungeon? Cellar? Prison? You’re not in charge of the Daleks, are you? They’ve got you locked away down here in the basement like, what, a servant? Slave? Court jester?”

“We have an arrangement.”

The Doctor gave a mocking laugh. “No, no, no, you’re the Dalek’s pet!”

Davros turned to Rose, and moved forward. She straightened up, making sure that Davros didn’t see her fear.

“So very full of fire, is he not? And to think you crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel to find him again.”

“Leave her alone.” The Doctor said, a fire in his eyes.

“She is mine, to do as I please.” Davros’ tone was predatory.

“Then why am I still alive?” Rose challenged, making sure her voice didn’t shake.

“You must be here. It was foretold. Even the Supreme Dalek would not dare to contradict the prophecies of Dalek Caan.” A spotlight flipped on over Dalek Caan, a brain with tentacles, covered with webs, and a crazy look in his lopsided eyes.

“So cold and dark, fire is coming, the endless flames…” Dalek Caan said in a sing-song voice.

“What is that thing?” Rose said, not being able to hide the disgust in her voice.

“You’ve met before. The last of the Cult of Skaro. But in flew into the Time War, unprotected.” The Doctor said, and Rose remembered now. For whatever reason, she felt _sorry_ for it. She looked over at Dean and Cas for a moment, and saw Cas whispering something to Dean, most likely what the Cult of Skaro was, and why Dalek Caan looked like that. Dean couldn’t hide the disgust or the pity on his face, either.

“This I have foreseen, in the wild, and the wind. The Doctor will be here, as witness. At the end of everything. The Doctor and his precious Children of Time.” Dalek Caan stopped to giggle. “And one of them will die!”

“Was it you, Caan? Did you kill Donna? Why did the TARDIS door close?! Tell me!” The Doctor’s voice was full of rage, and Rose felt it deep in her core.

“Oh, that’s it! The anger. The fire. The rage of a time lord who butchered millions. There he is. Why so shy? Show your companions. Show her your true self. Dalek Caan has promised me that, too.” Davros said, maliciously.

“I have seen. At the time of ending, The Doctor’s soul will be revealed.” Dalek Caan said.

“What does that mean?”

“We will discover it together. Our final journey. Because the ending approaches, the testing begins.” Davros said.

“Testing of what?” The Doctor said.

“The Reality Bomb. Behold the apotheosis of my genius!” Davros flicked a switch and a holographic screen appeared, showing the test area.

“That’s Z-Neutrino energy, flattened by the alignment of the planets into a single string.” The Doctor said, and turned to Davros. “No! Davros, you can’t! You can’t! NO!” He said in horror.

“Doctor, what’s happened?” Rose said, her voice matching the level of The Doctor’s horror.

“Electrical energy, Miss Tyler. Every atom in existence is bound by an electrical field. The Reality Bomb cancels it out. Structure falls apart. That test was focused on the prisoners alone. Full transmission will dissolve every form of matter.” Davros explained. Rose understood.

“Stars are going out-“ She said.

“The 27 planets. They become one vast transmitter. Blasting that wavelength-“ The Doctor said. Davros interrupted.

“Across the entire universe. Never stopping, never faltering, never fading. People and planets and stars will become dust, and the dust will become atoms, and the atoms will become… nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the Rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation! This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The destruction of reality itself!”

Rose heard Dean say, “the apocalypse” to Cas, and Cas shook his head, a curious look on his face. He mouthed the word, “no”, and scrunched up his face to look up at Dean.

“In-com-ing trans-MISS-ion. Or-i-GIN: Pla-net Earth.” A Dalek said, interrupting Rose’s spying. The screen displayed in the Vault, showing the woman from before, Martha, who she didn’t recognize.

“This message is for the Dalek Crucible, repeat, can you hear me?” She said, her eyes frantic, her voice calm.

“Put me through.” The Doctor said.

“It begins. As Dalek Caan fortold.” Davros replied.

“The Children of Time will gather. And one of them will die!” Dalek Caan giggled.

“Stop saying that! Put me through!”

“Doctor! I’m sorry, I had to!” Martha said.

“Oh, but The Doctor is powerless. My prisoner. State your intent.” Davros said. Martha collected herself, and showed them all the floppy disc.

“I’ve got the Osterhagen Key. Leave this planet and its people alone, or I’ll use it.” She threatened.

“The Osterhagen _what_? What’s an Osterhagen Key?!” The Doctor yelled.

“There’s a chain of 25 nuclear warheads, placed in strategic points beneath the Earth’s crust. If I use the key, they detonate and the Earth gets ripped apart.” She explained.

“What?! Who invented that?! Well, someone called Osterhagen, I suppose. Martha, are you insane?!” The Doctor said, shocked.

“The Osterhagen Key is to be used, if the suffering of the human race is so great, so without hope, that this becomes the final option.”

“That’s never an option!”

“Don’t argue with me, Doctor! ‘Cos it’s more than that. Now, I reckon the Daleks need these 27 planets for something, but what if it becomes 26? What happens then, Daleks? Would you risk it?”

“She’s good.” Rose said, impressed.

“Who is that?” Martha asked, looking at Rose.

“My name’s Rose. Rose Tyler.” She responded. Martha’s face crumpled with joy and relief.

“Oh, my God. He’s found you.” She said. Rose’s heart swelled.

“Se-cond trans-MISS-ion. In-TER-nal.” A Dalek’s voice boomed. A second screen appeared, showing Jack, Sarah Jane, Mickey, and Rose’s own mother, Jackie.

“Captain Jack Harkness, calling all Dalek boys and girls! Are you receiving me? Don’t send in your goons, or I’ll set this thing off!”

“He’s still alive!” Rose said, elated. Then she spotted Jackie. “Oh, my God! That’s my mum!”

“And Mickey – Captain, what are you doing?” The Doctor asked.

“I’ve got a Warp Star wired into the mainframe. I break this shell, the entire Crucible goes up.” Jack replied.

“You can’t! Where did you get a Warp Star?” The Doctor cried, outraged.

“From me,” said Sarah Jane, stepping forward. “We had no choice. We saw what happened to the prisoners.”

“Oh, this is meant to be. The Circle of Time is closing. You were there, on Skaro, at the very beginning of my creation!” Davros said.

“And I’ve learned how to fight since then! You let The Doctor go, or this Warp Star, it gets opened.”

“I’ll do it! Don’t imagine I wouldn’t!” Jack said.

“Now that’s what I call a ransom!” Rose said, smiling. She turned to The Doctor. “Doctor?” The Doctor kept his eyes at the floor, a guilty expression on his face.

“And the prophecy unfolds.” Davros said.

“The Doctor’s soul is revealed. See him! See the heart of him!” Dalek Caan giggled.

“The man who abhors violence. Never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons. Behold your Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this.

“They’re trying to help.” The Doctor said.

“Already, I have seen them sacrifice today, for their beloved Doctor. The Earth woman, who fell opening the Subwave Network.”

“Who was that?”

“Harriet Jones. She gave her life to get you here.” Rose answered The Doctor.

“How many more? Just think! How many have died in your name?” Davros asked, and Rose watched as her Doctor remembered, the pain flashing through his eyes. He began to tremble.

“The Doctor. The man who keeps running, never looking back. Because he dare not, out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you… yourself.” Davros said, and for once, The Doctor had no answer.

“It’s the Crucible or the Earth.” Martha said, showing the Osterhagen Key menacingly.

“Trans-mat en-GAGED.” A Dalek said, and the Osterhagen Key and the Warp Star fell to the ground as the transmat snatched Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane and Jackie to the Vault.

“The final prophecy is in place. The Doctor and his children, all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek, the time has come! Now… detonate the Reality Bomb!”

“You can’t, Davros! Just listen to me! Just stop!” The Doctor begged.

“Nothing can stop the detonation, nothing and no one!” Davros laughed with insane delight.

* * *

 

Dean held Cas close and watched as the TARDIS materialized inside of the Vault.

“Sam!” Dean yelled.

“But that’s-“ The Doctor started.

“Impossible!” Davros cried. The doors of the TARDIS opened, and surrounded by bright light stood… The Doctor?

“Brilliant!” Jack said.

The Other Doctor ran towards Davros.

“Don’t!” said The Real Doctor, just as Davros zapped The Other Doctor with a bolt of electricity from his finger. He fell, stunned, but not badly hurt. A holding cell appeared around The Other Doctor, and Donna and Sam ran out of the TARDIS, both running for weapons.

“Doctor, I’ve got it! But I don’t know what to do!” Donna said, and Sam had already aimed for Davros. Davros zapped Sam, sending him flying back, and then Donna, who hit the control panel.

“Donna! Are you alright, Donna!”

“Sam!”

“Destroy the weapon.” Davros said, and it was exploded by a Dalek death ray.

“How come there’s two of you?” asked Rose, shocked.

“Human biological metacrisis. Never mind that, now we’ve got no way of stopping the Reality Bomb!” The Doctor said.

“Detonation in nine… eight… seven… six five…” Dean turned to Cas, still clutching tight to Dean’s shirt, and pressed his lips firmly to the angel’s forehead.

“…four… three… two…”

* * *

 

Dean’s lips were pressed against Cas’ forehead, and he thought to himself, as the warmth trickled down his forehead and warmed his entire body, _what a great way to die._ The countdown stopped, but the sensation of Dean’s warm lips continued, an everlasting heaven.

“Oh, closing all Z-Neutrino relay loops using an internalized synchronous back-feed reversal loop? That button there!” Donna’s voice erupted, and Dean’s lips left Cas’ forehead, and Cas’ eyes opened in shock. They were still alive. Donna saved them.

Dean had kissed him.

“Ex-plain! Ex-plain! Ex-plain!” The Supreme Dalek cried.

“Donna, you can’t even change a plug!” The Doctor said, bemused.

“D’you wanna bet, time boy?” She teased him.

“She’s part time lord.” Cas said, sitting up, as Donna fiddled on the console, rendering the Daleks useless and The Other Doctor heard him.

“Part human, part time lord!” He cried. Donna looked elated.

“Part human, oh yes. That was a two-way biological metacrisis. Half Doctor, half Donna!” She said, and pushed controls, shutting off the holding cells. The two Doctors ran towards the control panel, and Sam ran towards Dean and Cas.

“Stop them! Get them away from the controls!” Davros commanded.

“And, spin.” Donna said, flicking a switch, and the Daleks spun around, helpless.

“Is anyone gonna tell us what’s going on?” Rose asked, laughing confusedly.

“He,” Donna gestured to The Real Doctor. “Poured all of his energy into his spare hand. I touched the hand, and he,” she gestured to The New Doctor. “Grew out of that, but that fed back to me. But, it just kept dormant in my head until the synapses got that extra spark, kicking them to life. Thank you, Davros! Part human, part time lord. And I got the best bit of The Doctor. I got his mind!”

“You’re so unique, the timelines were converging on you. Human being with a time lord brain.” The Real Doctor said.

“You promised me, Dalek Caan! Why did you not foresee this?” Davros said, turning on Dalek Caan. Dalek Caan merely giggled.

“I think he did.” The Real Doctor said. “Something’s been manipulating the timelines for ages. Getting Donna Noble to the right place at the right time.”

“This would always have happened. I only helped, Doctor.” Dalek Caan said.

“You betrayed the Daleks!” Davros said.

“I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space. I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed ‘No more!’ I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor!” Dalek Caan said, and Cas watched as The Doctor thought. The New Doctor jumped to action, working with the controls.

“Maximizing Dalekanium power feeds! Blasting them back!” He said, and one by one, Daleks started to explode, the power of it shaking the whole Crucible, including the TARDIS. The Real Doctor ran out to see what was happening.

“What have you done?” He asked, horrified.

“Fulfilling the prophecy.” The New Doctor said.

“Do you know what you’ve done? Now get in the TARDIS! Everyone! All of you, inside! Run!” Dean and Sam lifted Cas and ran full speed towards the TARDIS, Cas’ feet dragging along the ground.

“Davros! Come with me! I can save you!” The Real Doctor said, holding out his hand.

“Never forget, Doctor. You did this. I name you, forever… the Destroyer of Worlds!” Davros screamed as he disappeared behind flames.

“One will still die.” Dalek Caan said, and The Real Doctor shut the TARDIS doors, running to the console and pulling the switch, sending the TARDIS flying as the Crucible exploded behind them.

As The Doctors and his companions, including Sam, contacted Torchwood, and successfully pulled the planets into their correct alignment, Cas stayed with Dean (or the other way around). He looked up at him, now, feeling safe at last, and opened his mouth to speak.

“You kissed me.” He said, his head tilted.

“Yeah.” Dean said, not quite looking at him.

“Well, -“ Cas started, and Dean interrupted.

“It’ll all be explained, Cas, I promise. I’m just glad,” he paused. “I’m glad you’re safe – that we’re all safe.”

“I’m happy you’re back, Dean.” Cas said. Dean laughed and finally looked down at him.

“Hm, really? Couldn’t tell, after all, you did use all of your mojo to tackle me in the middle of the street.” Cas flushed.

The Doctor returned all of his companions to their homes, one by one, tearful, happy goodbyes, until it was just Rose, Jackie, Dean, Cas, and Sam left. The TARDIS landed once more.

* * *

 

Dean stepped off onto the beach of the parallel universe, Rose, Jackie, and The Doctors behind him.

“This is the parallel universe.” He said, looking around. “The one I was sent to.”

“No… but, I spent all that time trying to find you.” Rose said. “I’m not going back now!”

“Dean!” He heard Cas cry out. Dean turned and saw this world’s Cas running towards him, hair ruffled by the wind.

“Cas.” He said, breathlessly, and Cas hugged him hard around the middle, pressing his tear-streaked face against his chest. “Oh, Cas, I’m so sorry.”

“I thought, that, you weren’t coming back.” He sobbed, and Dean felt his heart sink. He grabbed Cas’ face and looked into his eyes. Cas’ eyes had a knowing look.

“Cas, I have to-“ Dean started, and Cas shook his head, holding on to Dean’s hands. “I want to-“ Dean started again, and Cas kissed the tops of Dean’s fingertips.

“I understand, Dean. I just-“ Cas surged forward, pushing his lips against Dean’s furiously. Dean kissed back, nipping at Cas’ bottom lip gently. If this was goodbye, it was gonna be a damn good goodbye kiss. Not like the pathetic one he’d given him last time. When they pulled apart, Cas looked over to the TARDIS, and Dean followed his gaze, finally making eye contact with his Cas and his brother, who were both staring at the two, still in a heated embrace.

“I think I have some explaining to do,” Dean said to no one in particular, and Cas laughed, another tear streaking down his face.

“It’s really bizarre to see myself like this.” Cas said, a tilt of his head, wiping his teary face. He pulled away from Dean, jaw clenched, and pushed his hands deep into his pockets. “Sam, Castiel.” He said, and gave a wave. The two men at the TARDIS’ entrance waved back, mumbling their own ‘hello’s.’

The Doctor and Donna were walking back to the TARDIS now, leaving Rose and The New Doctor lip-locked in the middle of the beach. Dean turned to Cas for the last time.

“What we had, Cas, that was real. This is real.” He said, forcefully. Cas pursed his lips and nodded.

“If there’s ever another one of you, send him here.” He motioned towards Rose and The Other Doctor. “I’d like to have any version of you, Dean.” Dean huffed a laugh, and turned away. He walked to the TARDIS, stopping at the doors to wave a goodbye at Cas.

And then, they flew away.

The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS walls, devastated, and Dean nodded in his direction, an understanding. He turned towards Cas and his brother, one with his head tilted, looking for answers, and the other with a shit-eating grin on his face.

The Doctor made one last stop as he landed in the Winchesters’ motel room once more. As they said their goodbyes, Cas whispered, “a human mind cannot hold all the information a time lord brain can. She’s going to burn up unless The Doctor wipes her mind. She’s not going to remember any of this.” The TARDIS doors shut at that, a waving, smiling Donna being the last thing they saw before the TARDIS materialized.

The most important woman in the universe.

“Come on, Cas, let’s get you inside and rested.” Dean said, hugging Cas to his side. “Get some of your mojo back so we can stop the apocalypse, huh?” Cas smiled beside him, a knowing smile, and a promise of much more.

“Dean and _Cas_ sitting in a tree K-I-S-S—“

“Shut up, Sam!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it folks. Thank you so much for sticking with me until the end, I know it hasn't been easy. Thank you for reading! XOXOXOX


End file.
